How to Kiss By the Book
by Enlightening Tale Brethren
Summary: One fateful night at the carnival involving a cell phone swap changes both the lives of oldie fan Ally Dawson, and Austin Moon, beloved singer of the worldwide sensational band, The Great Escape. Sounds like your typical day, except, Ally can't stand The Great Escape. *Will contain lemons, and cussing.*
1. Hello Goodbye

I flipped through the channels mindlessly, looking for anything to cure my boredom. Normally I cracked out on Netflix, but lately Netflix was doing this cute thing where they had every movie except the ones I wanted to watch.

"Ooh! A Great Escape concert! Can we watch it, please?" My best friend Trish squealed and pleaded. I rolled my eyes and wordlessly switched it on. If there was one band I could not stand, it was The Great Escape.

They were just another boy band with no talent, loads of prepubescent fangirls, and egos the size of the sun. I failed to see how Trish and I were best friends, since her taste in music was an abomination.

"How can you stand this shit?" I asked, groaning as they started their next song. Trish opened her mouth to give me a lecture, when Austin started singing, and she squealed again. God, the music now was terrible; It was so meaningless, and the crap lyrics were hidden behind stupid dubstep beats.

"You just hate them because you don't listen to anything from this century. And if you do, they're all screaming, with their gargled guitar riffs, and whiney lyrics."

"Hey man, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones were influential bands whose music shaped the crap you are currently listening to. They were amazing, and you should be thanking them for their precious gift to you."

"Fair enough, but come on, none of them were attractive. Now, Austin Moon on the other hand…"

"I beg to differ. His hair is clearly fake blonde; There is nothing attractive about fake. Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison… They were **very** attractive."

"Yeah, I know. My mom had the biggest crushes on Mick and Ringo. Maybe you and my mom can be bff's, since you both have terrible taste in music, and men."

"Maybe we should. After all, she likes men, and not little bitches like Austin Moon. And, she listens to music that has real meaning, instead of all this drug, sex, and puppydog love you're so obsessed with. My taste in music is perfect." I state simply, before glancing at the clock and groaning.

The carnival didn't start until 6, and it was only 4. Plus, the damn concert didn't end until 5. I was in hell.

"Oh, come on Ally. Even you have to agree that Austin Moon is sexy."

"Certainly, if you think a fake, blonde manwhore is sexy, then of course. I, however, like men, and not a teeny-bopper boy who hasn't even completed puberty yet."

Trish sighs and turns up the volume, adding to my torture. I was going to murder her here shortly.

"Speaking of the Great Escape.. I um… er… I heard they're having a concert here next week. I really want to go!"

"You have fun. Make sure you bring pepper spray and wear protective clothing. You never know what some of those people might have."

"Ally, please go with me?" Trish begs, pausing the concert and giving me a pleading look.

"Ha, yeah! I'll add it to my bucket list, right under dating an 82 year old man."

"Come on, I'll do anything!"

I cock an eyebrow, a smirk slowly spreading across my face. "Anything?"

"Anything."

"So, you'll go to a Rolling Stones concert with me?"

"Well… Anything **but** that."

"No deal then. Do you even have tickets?"

"Not yet, but I will get them, hopefully."

"Well, good luck with that. I'm going to go take a shower now."

And with that I bolted from the room before Trish could find another reason to hold me prisoner in the living room. I still had an hour before I needed to start getting ready, but if it got me out of listening to Trish fawn over Austin Moon, then I was all for it.

It wasn't that I really had anything against the Great Escape. I mean, I hated them, but I respected them to an extent. After all, I wasn't worldwide famous, or drenched in money.

I just thought their lyrics were too typical boy band.

I turn on the water and crank up The Rolling Stones, before stepping into the warm heaven that is a shower.

_War, children, it's just a shot away,_

_It's just a shot away._

_War, children, it's just a shot away._

_It's just a shot away._

I sing to the song as I go through a long process of shaving and body washing. But, as all great things do, it all eventually comes to an end, and I am out of things to do in the shower. I toweled off and begin doing my makeup. I don't do too much, since I'm not really planning on getting my flirt on tonight, or anything.

**** Skipping to the Carnival****

"Come on, Ally! I want to ride the Zipper before it closes!" Trish yelled, skipping a few steps ahead of me. Where did she store all that energy?

I sighed, and absentmindedly slipped my hand in my pocket, feeling for my phone. Surprise, surprise, it wasn't there at all. I felt panic sweep over me, as I begin frantically patting myself down, searching for it. Trish, who had noticed I was not right behind her, walked back to me with a questioning look.

"Alls, now is not the time to be getting frisky. Think of the children." She teased.

I groaned, as the panic started settling in. "Dude, I can't find my phone." I say, my tone slightly agitated.

"Don't be a derp, Ally. You probably put it in your bra or something."

"No, it's not there. I don't put anything in my bra. That's a great way to get breast cancer. I checked my pockets and my purse. I don't have it."

"Well, you had it when we were at the food court…"

"The food court! I think I left it there. Go get in line, I'll be there." I called over my shoulder as I started sprinting towards the food court.

I spotted an iPhone on the table and practically cried in relief. Yet another disaster successfully evaded by Ally Dawson. I sprinted back to Trish, and reached her just as it was our turn.

"Did you find it?"

"Yep." I grin happily as we board the Zipper.

* * *

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick!" Trish groans, clutching her stomach.

"You better not puke in my car." I warn, as we walk through the parking lot. "Stop being a baby. You're the one who wanted to ride the Zipper." I unlock the doors and we slide in.

I start the ignition and Toto blasts through my speakers. Trish groans again, glancing at me, her face displaying her adment horror at my taste in music.

"Can we please listen to someone who's not dead, please?"

"Toto is still alive."

"But, they're awful!" Trish says, protesting.

"Rule one of riding shotgun in Ally Dawson's car; The driver picks the music, and the passenger shuts her cakehole." And with that, I turn up the music louder.

_It's not in the way that you hold me._

_It's not in the way you say you care._

_It's not in the way you've been treating my friends._

_It's not in the way that you'll stay till the end._

_It's not in the way you look, or the things that you say that you do._

_Hold the line, love isn't always on time._

_Whoa, whoa, whoa…_

* * *

I awake with my phone ringing. Only, it isn't my ringtone, because I sure as hell don't listen to Taio Cruz.

_I'm only gonna break, break your, break, break your heart…_

"I'm going to break someone's face, that's for damn sure." I grumble, glancing at my alarm clock.

3:03 a.m… Who in the actual fuck was calling me at 3? Possibly Jared, my impossible brother, who was most likely drunk and needed a ride home.

"The party better have been pretty damn stupefying, since you've decided to be gracious and wake me up at 3 in the morning to pick your drunk ass up. I was in bed." I hiss into the phone.

"Bed? What are you wearing?" An unfamiliar voice asks, amused.

I shoot upright in my bed. "Who is this?"

"Who is this?"

"I asked you first." I snap, now fully awake and very irritated.

"The owner of the phone you are currently holding."

"Come again? You must be mistaken. This is **my** phone."

"No, it isn't. Assuming your phone has a picture of two girls making disturbing and questionable faces as the background, I have your phone."

"That's impossible! How the hell did you get your greasy mitts on my phone? This stuff doesn't happen to me."

"And who is 'me'?"

"My mother told me never to share personal information with strangers."

"Look, we have to be on a name-of-some-sort basis, because eventually we will have to meet up in order to make the exchange. And I feel like yelling "Hey, strange girl with the sexy voice that I woke up at 3, where are you? Stand up and come hither!" is going to sound just a tad bit strange. It would damage my reputation."

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want that to happen. I mean, you wouldn't get laid." I say, feining mock sympathy for him.

"It would be a crime. The ladies line up to be with me."

"The only thing they line up for is STD checks afterwards."

"Feisty… I like it."

"Yeah? Well, I'm going to end your breathing! You interrupted my sleep." I grumble, desperately wanting to end this nightmare call.

"Well, I'm sorry, princess. We certainly wouldn't want you to miss out on your beauty sleep. Now, name?"

"Ally."

"Nice to meet you."

"Oh, I can think of nicer ways to meet someone, and waking them up in the middle of the fucking night is not one of them."

"I'm Austin." He says, his tone indicating that I should know who he is.

"Well, Austin, can our very inconvenient conversation wait until morning?"

"It is morning."

'Ha, ha." I say sarcastically. "You're a comical genius."

"I know. It's just one of the many things girls love about me."

"Oh, you mean besides your massive ego?" I scoff.

"Yes, besides that. You know, you sound pretty sexy on the phone."

"Thank you, I try. I'm going to bed now. Good night, Jupiter."

"Jupiter? It's Austin."

"I think Jupiter suits you better. You are clearly not on the intellectual side of things. So, like the old rhyme goes '_Boys go to Jupiter to get stupider._' Now, if you're quite done annoying the living piss out of me, I'm going to bed now."

"It's so adorable that we already have nicknames for each other. I think I'll call you princess. You can be my princess, and I can be your prince."

I groan in annoyance and end the call. God, of course, I had to have something like this happen to me. And it had to be with the stereotypical male specimen; Cocky, arrogant, ignorant, and inconsiderate.

I'm officially the luckiest girl in the world. I mean, he had all the traits that I desired in a possible male candidate. We were going to get along just fine. Infact, I could see us as best friends now. Right after I successfully disposed of his body and ridded the world of another asshole.


	2. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

I woke up earlier than usual to loud ringing next to my ear. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, squinting at the sunlight coming through the shades. I glared at the phone, fully prepared to damage the phone to the point where it was unusable.

But, if I did that, there would be no way in hell that I was getting my phone back, and that was the only thing that stopped me. "What?" I snap into the phone, not even bothering to check the caller i.d.

"Good morning princess. I have missed you."

"Oh for Christ's sake! You talked to me like, 10 hours ago. What was so urgent that you felt the need to wake me up a second time today?" I growl, feeling extremely annoyed. This boy had some nerve.

"It's simple, princess. I am currently trapped in a car, and I am extremely bored, so I thought, hey, let's give Ally a call."

"Oh, don't I feel honored. You couldn't wait until a semi-decent time to wake me up? I mean, I'm already suffering from fatigue thanks to your unwelcome wake up call at 3 a.m."

"Princess, it's already 1 p.m. I'd say it was time for you to get up anyway."

"Shut up! It's the summer, and I can be lazy if I want."

"Ah, but there is a difference between being lazy and being a fatass couch potato."

"Oh really? You have a lot of nerve, for someone who hasn't even completed puberty. I mean, have your balls even dropped yet?"

I hear a huff on the other end. Clearly, I offended him. Ally:1 | Austin: 0; But then, to my immediate surprise, I hear him chuckle.

"Oh Ally, you're so cute. Those insults would've totally bruised my ego in 9th grade, maybe. But, I'm 18, and cheap insults aimed at my ego no longer have any effect on me."

"When are we exchanging phones? Are you available today?" I ask, my tone slightly hopeful.

"Alas, princess. I am not. I will be out of town for a couple of weeks for a road trip thing. I'm already out of state. We left this morning."

"Are you kidding me?" I growl, feeling more and more pissed off as this conversation continues. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier? We could have swapped phones this morning, and our troubles would be over, and maybe I could get some fucking sleep!"

"Damn, princess. I think you need some xanax. Are you on the rag?"

"No! I am not on the rag! That's none of your business anyway. Look, hurry up and get your scrawny ass home soon."

"Aww, do you miss me already?"

"Hell no. I just need to kill someone, and I think you're the perfect candidate."

"Whoa, princess. I think it's time to chill out. I mean, I have a mother and father, and loyal friends."

"I believe the line is 'I have a wife and kids.'" I muse dryly.

"I'm much too young to get married, Ally. Sorry to ruin your dream. But, you can rest assured, because I promise you, you're the only girl in my heart."

"Look, I'm sure that line works on all your little bimbos back home, but it has no effect on me. You're infuriating, and quite frankly, you annoy me to no end. I have already mentally killed you 40 times during the duration of this conversation."

"Love me, hate me, just think, you're thinking about me." He says, amusement and smugness in his tone.

"You know, one day you'll wake up and realize that you're not god's gift to the world."

"Aww, princess, you have under exaggerated my perfection. I don't think I'm god's gift to the world; I think I'm god's gift to the universe."

"Don't you have someone better to annoy? You're like a cloud; When you go away, it makes my day brighter."

"You love me, princess. Admit it, my calls make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You love the attention I'm giving you."

"Oh my god! Can you be anymore conceited? The only feelings I get from you are utter annoyance and a sense of regret. If I would've been more careful with my phone, we wouldn't be in this predicament."

"I wouldn't call it a predicament. I think it's destiny."

"I just woke up not even 5 minutes ago. It is too early in the fucking morning for intellectual, deeply significant conversations. I just want to sleep."

"Oh, princess, you never fail to amuse me. It is afternoon, love. And I'm sure you want to sleep. I want to sleep too. I'm going to sleep in your bed."

I snort. "As if you'd ever be coming over to my house. After I get my phone back, I'm going to pretend this whole nightmare never occurred, and then things can go back to normal, and I won't feel so tense all the time."

"Well shit. If you wanted a massage, all you had to do was ask. I mean, I'm excellent at everything, it's in my genes. But, I excell at massages. I'll even bring the oil." He says suggestively.

I resist the urge to throw up. "Look, this conversation is extremely entertaining, and I'm loving the fact that I am on the phone with someone as charming as you are. But, I have better things to do with my life than have phone sex with a complete stranger. I have standards. Plus, I firmly believe in not having phone sex, because I don't want to get hearing AIDS."

And with that, I hang up the phone and turn the ringer off. It looks like my sleep can once again, continue. But, that dream was put to an abrupt end when my door opened and in walked Jared.

Jared and I are exactly 9 months apart, and he's older. He loves rubbing it in my face, even though I am clearly the more mature and responsible one. But, despite the fact that he likes to think of himself as superior due to our age difference, he was my best friend.

There was no one I trusted more than Jared, except maybe Trish. I learned a very long time ago to never fully trust anyone; Even satan was once an angel. If there was one thing I have always found to be true, it is those words exactly. They have kept me out of a lot of heartbreak.

Usually Jared looked cocky and always self-assured, with a perpetual mischievous smirk on his face. Today, however appeared to be a rare occasion, because he looked beyond pissed. Uh oh.

"What the hell, Allison? I thought, as my little sister, you would have the decency to always be there for me."

"What are you bitching about now, Jared? I have always tried to be there for you. Who peed their pants with you in kindergarten just so you didn't get made fun of by yourself? Oh, that's right, me."

"Yeah? Well, you were strangely M.I.A. this morning. Thanks to you, I had to walk home. I almost got picked up by the cops, no thanks to you." He growls, his chest puffed out, his eyes blazing in rage.

Really? He was getting worked up because he had to walk? He runs track, and he's supposed to be the athletic one in the family. Men, freaking babies, all of them.

"Well, maybe if you would have called me, I would've came and yielded to your aid. But, you didn't. So stop throwing a bitch fit and remove the tampon from your ass." I snap.

"I did." He says icily. Jared gives me an extremely dirty look before storming out of my room, slamming the door behind him. Ah, brothers; I adore when they throw their little tantrums. I'm not going to apologize and feel remorse for the fact that he had to walk home. It wasn't my fault he didn't call me. I wasn't his babysitter.

Wait, he did try to call me, and I didn't have my phone! Shit. This really was my fault. I quickly get up and walk across the hall to Jared's room, and knock softly.

"Jared? Look, i'm sorry. You were right. It wasn't cool of me to leave you hanging." I say through the door, hoping he's in a forgiving mood. But his silence answers my unspoken question. He's pissed, and he has every right to be that way. I guess I need to let him cool off.

When I get back to my room, I almost groan in frustration. There are four unread text messages, all from Austin. For fuck's sake, I was gone less than 3 minutes.

**Princess, I miss you. We have entered the middle of nowhere. -Baller**

**Ally, I'm bored. Entertain me. -Baller**

**Babe… Where are you? -Baller**

**This is the song that never ends… Yes, it goes on and on my friends. You started singing this song not knowing what it was, and you'll go on forever singing it just because this is the song that never ends… -Baller**

God, could he be any more exasperating? Did he really have nothing better than to terrorize me? I was hanging on a thread, ready to snap his stupid head off his stupid body. Of course, first that required having a picture to place over the face of Austin.

**Seriously? I'm not your damn puppet. Go fly a kite. -Ally**

**Oh, good! Babe, I thought you were dead. I was so worried! I had 911 on location, ready to drive out and save you. -Baller**

**First off, don't call me babe. I'm not your babe. Second, you don't know my last name, so you'd have a pretty hard time directing the law enforcement to my house. -Ally**

**Ah, princess. Your wit and sarcasm are my favorite things about you. So, will you grace me with a last name, at least? -Baller**

**No. I already told you my first name. That's all the personal information I am disclosing. I don't know you. For all I know, you're some psycho serial killer who plans on wearing my skin to your next birthday party. -Ally**

**First, that's terribly gruesome and disturbing. I always fall for the psycho girls, it appears. Second, If I'm a serial killer, you should be giving me props for staying up all night talking to you and making useless conversation. -Baller**

**That just confirmed my suspicions that you most definitely are a gruesome serial killer who wants to skin me alive. This is not Silence of the Lambs, Mr. Austin. I will get to you before you get to me. -Ally**

**Ah, princess. You are so cute, thinking you could defend yourself against me. You are very short, and I am very tall. -Baller**

**How do you know I'm short? You don't even know what I _look_ like! -Ally**

**No, but based on your voice, you sound like a short person. -Baller**

**Yeah, so I'm ending this conversation now. Goodbye, Jupiter. -Ally**

**Ah, Ally. Scared to admit your true feelings for me? It's ok. I am perfect, and I am used to the constant fangirls. I promise, I'll make it worth your wild when we meet(; I'm counting down the hours until we see each other. 168 hours, 7 days. -Baller**

I didn't even bother to reply. The sooner this swap was over, the better; Then I wouldn't have to deal with all this harassment. Clearly he was one of those manwhores who thought that because I was a girl that I automatically ate out the palm of any guy who showed attention to me.

I didn't eat out of any hand. I bite the hand of anyone stupid enough to try. I was not going to be one of those girls who gave into to corny pickup lines or vapid attempts at flirting with me. He thought that I was weak and that I would automatically suck his dick just because he thought he was hot shit.

If there was one thing that I had complete control over, it was this situation. I was not going to be broken down, or wooed. I was stronger than that, and I had self-respect. I despised Austin's type. People like him made my skin crawl. In exactly 168 hours, he would forget that I existed and he would find some new girl to push himself on. Shit, now I was counting down too.


	3. The Bitch Is Back

It has been promptly 3 days, and Jared has yet to utter a single word to me. The most conversation we have had is an occasional grunt from him acknowledging that I do, infact exist.

But, that was about the extent of our socializing.

Austin, on the other hand, has texted and called me non-stop, and I was exactly three seconds away from spartan kicking his preg ass. I wasn't sure which one I hated more: the fact that Jared was beyond pissed at me and went out of his way to avoid me, or that Austin was clearly dead set on giving me a hernia.

Today was a day for getting out of the house, and escaping the anger that was bubbling inside the walls of the Dawson household. Jared had been on edge lately, snapping at anyone who was foolish enough to try to converse with him for longer than 2 minutes.

Mom thought maybe Jared was going through one of those teenager phases, and my dad was just irked by it; I could see his patience was starting to wear thin, and I wondered how long it would be before our family had a full out screaming match.

Normally I would call Trish, but since she was currently also out of town, I decided to go to the mall and go shopping. Most people hated shopping alone. I was not one of those people. I relished in being by myself, and I could go months without seeing another person and be perfectly content.

I had a job at the mall, but other than that, I tried to avoid the mall. Sure, I liked clothes and boys as much as the next girl, but I was the type of person who let very few people into my life, and trusted even fewer. I hated people, but I was still nice to them. At least, until they pissed me off.

However, as everything always seems to happen, I was called in for work. So much for buying a new bathing suit or something. I worked in Hot Topic, and besides the fact that most of my co-workers were baffling idiots who had no self-motivation unless the manager was nearby, it wasn't a terrible job.

I didn't have to stand outside and wear a chicken suit, or wear a dorky hat like some of the people who were unlucky enough to work in the food court. All in all, I'd say that it was an ok job. My only problem was my boss was a dick, and today I was working with Nicki, Kira, and Serenity.

Serenity and Nicki were identical twins who were polar both had long, wavy blonde hair, amber eyes, and stood at about 5'6, but that's where the similarities ended. Where Serenity was laid back and down to earth, Nicki was loud and crazy. Serenity had a few close friends, Nicki had half the school in her contacts. Take a guess which one I got along better with.

Now, both were pretty cool on a given basis, but Nicki brought all sorts of drama with her, and all her stupid friends annoyed me to no end. They were the reason I had no hope for the future. Her best friend, was Kira, who could give the White Witch a run for her money.

Kira was tan all year long, thanks to both her daddy's endless supply of credit cards and her family's constant need for vacationing. Name a place, she's went there, possibly three times on each given occasion. She was rich, but that wasn't the reason I couldn't stand her. Hell, I could barely tolerate her.

No, what I hated about Kira was she had a burning love for The Great Escape, specifically Austin, and she never shut up about them. She was definitely the number one whore in that

fanclub. She thought she was above everyone, and she was the kind of girl who expected to get her way, no matter what.

I didn't see why she needed to work, since her daddy clearly had enough money to support her lavish lifestyle for the next 400 years. "Cute shoes." I hear Serenity say to Kira as I walked behind the counter to begin my shift.

"Thanks, they're Prada." She says, twirling her hair around her finger as she glances around the store, her expression bored.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I failed to see the point of buying shoes that practically cost an arm and leg. Sure, my Converse shoes were ratty and had seen better days, but they were good shoes, and I didn't have to spend money equivalent to feeding an entire third-world country.

A The Great Escape song begins playing, and I sigh in annoyance. It was barely 10 a.m. I was still groggy, and I didn't want to spend my whole day listening to prep music. Plus, this was Hot Topic; We were supposed to put on a rock or metal station to intrigue customers. Or, maybe it was to make them hurry with their purchases so that they could escape the music. I don't know.

Of course Kira would bend the rules. I found myself envying deaf people; Sure, it was really sad that they couldn't hear, but at this point, being deaf beat listening to both Kira and The Great Escape.

* * *

For the past hour, guess what Kira has done? Well, besides flirting with guys who were both not her type, and not her boyfriend, she had done nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing, besides gloat to anyone who would listen about her stupid new shoes. Prada might as well of been in the same league as hooking up with a celebrity, the way she was rambling on and on about it.

So, while she stood there and twiddled her thumbs, I cleaned out the dressing rooms, restocked, and kept things generally neat. I wished that Kale was here to notice her lack of work ethics; But it would be a wasted wish, because I had a good feeling that either A) Kira was shagging Kale on the side of her current relationship, or B) He was infatuated with her. Either or both were possible.

I was five seconds away from snapping her neck and hiding her in the dumpster out back. Sure, it was illegal to kill people for being stupid, but I figured everything was legal until you were caught.

Today has been the first day that Austin has not texted me, and it has been the best vacation of a lifetime. In a typical love story, I would be relishing his absence and pining for him to send me a simple 'Hey.' However, this was not a love story, and I was not a pathetic damsel in distress who lusted over guys and depended on them to bring me my salvation.

Soon it was time for me to take my lunch break and I practically sprinted out of the store before I murdered someone. On the walk to the food court, I found a $20 bill by the plant. Hallelujah, thank the lord! Maybe the big man upstairs really was listening to me! Or at least, he was trying to make up for forcing me to become associated with Austin.

* * *

We were approaching closing time, and I was counting down the minutes until I could go home and take a long, relaxing bubble bath. Or curl up in front of the t.v. and eat my weight in ice cream. Either one sounded appealing.

Just 15 more minutes. My euphoria, and semi-good mood were instantly gone the moment that Kira's friends entered the store. The cheerleaders, or Kira's Slut Squad (As I lovingly called them), all thought they were hot shit who could do whatever they wanted because their dads were rich, and because they were pretty. They were basically the female versions of Austin.

"Hey Kai." Tammy, Kira's right-hand henchwoman, greeted, browsing at some of our more gothic looking clothing. She was giving it a look of disgust. Honestly, what did she expect in a store that sold stuff created for the legions of the undead, or the gothic kids? Not that I had any personal problem with gothic kids.

"Hey Tammy." Kira responded nonchalantly, not even bothering to glance up from the difficult task of filing her nails.

"Did you hear?"

"It depends. I may have, or I may have not."

"The Great Escape are having a concert here in less than a week!" Tammy squeals, the rest of the team joining in her eager declarations of love for her shit music.

"Oh, I already knew that. Daddy bought me backstage passes and I get to sit in the very front row." Kira gloats, now glancing up to look at Tammy, who looks green with envy.

"You're so lucky! I tried to get tickets, but they are almost completely sold out. All the good seats are gone."

"Don't worry, Tammy. I have another ticket. Nicki, are you going?"

"No, The Great Escape isn't really my cup of tea."

Kira snorts, clearly looking offended. What the hell was her problem? It wasn't like Nicki had just told her that they were the worst band in the history of bands, even though she would've been right on the mark.

"How can you not like The Great Escape, Nicki? I mean, we're best friends, and you don't even like the same band as me?" Kira sounds slightly hysterical now. God, she is such a drama queen. Hey, maybe her overreaction would kill her. Did I dare hope?

"I'm sorry, Kira. I love you, you know I do. I just don't really love The Great Escape."

"I just can't believe you're being so rude, Nicki! You're totally bashing on my future husband Austin by not liking his music, and by bashing on him, you're bashing on me."

"Kira…"

"Well-" Kira begins, but I cut her off because my patience has finally disapparated.

"Listen here, you snotty, lazy, selfish bitch. The Great Escape are a good band, if you like shit lyrics and boys that are clearly not heterosexual. However, I am done with you treating Nicki like your personal slave and tearing her down. With friends like you, who needs enemies? So what if she doesn't like your favorite band? I bet you can't even name her favorite band. She didn't say anything degrading about your 'future husband', which by the way, is statistically impossible and quite improbable."

"Excuse me? Improbable? I am gorgeous, I am popular, and I am talented. I have everything a guy could want."

"Yes, except a tight vagina or a redeeming personality.. I mean, you've been with so many guys now, that who knows how loose and flabby it is?"

"I know you didn't just call me a slut." Kira says, her face reddening, her posture stiff and ready to strike. I'd honestly like to see her try.

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm calling you, Kira. You have had everything spoon fed to you since you were a baby, and you seem to think that it gives you cause to do whatever or whoever you want. It's time for a reality check. The chances of Austin Moon actually going for you are slim to nothing. In his business, it's all about someone's fame, and not how pretty they are."

"You don't even know Austin, so stop strutting around like you do. He's not so shallow that he'd date someone because of how famous they were. The Great Escape love all their fans, and I will become Mrs. Kira Moon."

And with a toss of her long, black curly hair, she's gone. Nicki gives me an appreciative look and goes off to talk to the evil witch.

"Fat chance of that happening." I mutter to myself as I begin to close up the store. Serenity and I work side by side, making occasional small talk, when my phone begins ringing. I curse under my breath, and reach into my jacket to grab it. I thought I turned the damn thing off.

"What do you want? I'm working right now."

"Well, I realized we hadn't talked in nearly 12 hours, and the agonizing wait was killing me."

"Look, as exhilarating and joyful as this conversation is, I have to go back to work." I end the phone call before he can protest or find other ways to annoy me.

But, apparently, he's smarter than I thought, because before I can turn off my phone, he manages to shoot me a text message.

**Ah, princess. Why would you hang up on me? You know, there are billions of girls who would kill to be in your position. -Baller**

**Look, Austin, I'm not in the mood for this. -Ally**

**What's wrong, babe? Tell Dr. Austin all about it. What happened? Did another girl steal the last cute shirt you wanted? -Baller**

**DON'T CALL ME BABE. I have already been tested to my limit today. My co-worker is illiterate, stuck up, and has no work ethic whatsoever. -Ally**

**That sounds typical… -Baller**

**It is. She's a whore with no self-respect or self-regard for anyone but herself. She rambles on and on about her shitty music and her unrealistic expectations of her husband. We got in a fight. -Ally**

**Oh damn. And I wasn't there to witness this? This sounds hot. Please tell me you guys like, wrestled half-naked or something?(: -Baller**

**No. We did not wrestle. We got in a fight because I can't stand her taste in music or men. -Ally**

**Oh, come on now. What music could she possibly listen to that is so bad that you had to get verbal? -Baller**

**Well, for starters, her favorite band is The Great Escape… -Ally**

**Is it safe to assume you won't be attending any of their concerts then? -Baller**

**Fuck no, I won't be. I won't even go with my best friend. I fail to see what's so great about them. No, I like real music. And my co-star kept rambling on, and on about how great Austin Moon is, and how she's going to get married to him, and she got all pissed off and started yelling at me because I pulled her out of an unreal fantasy. -Ally**

**What do you have against Austin Moon? -Baller**

**I'm**** surprised you care, since you're a guy… Most of the guys I know join me in my firm belief that The Great Escape will never compare to good music. Why don't I like Austin? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. When I was 15, I went to a signing they had at our mall, because I was really good friends with this girl who was dying of cancer, and she was absolutely in love with The Great Escape. Her biggest wish was to meet them in person, but since I didn't have that kind of money, I settled on an autograph. I stood in line for hours, and by the time I got up to the front, the members of The Great Escape were already finished, and preparing to leave. I begged for an autograph, and the lead singer told me to take a hike, to try my luck again next time. He was a complete ass. And shortly after, she died. I couldn't even give her the one thing she wanted. Does that answer your question? -Ally**

I put my phone away, feeling a sudden sense of hollowness. It's haunted me for years… The fact that while most kids that are dying of cancer ask to go to Disney World, and all she wanted was to meet her idols. I couldn't get her the one thing she didn't text back. It just figures; I knew he didn't **really** care about what was bothering me. And why should he? We've known each other approximately 4 days, and so far, I hadn't been very nice to him. I didn't really care either, to be honest. Soon, he would be out of sight, and out of mind.


	4. In My Life

Another wonderfully quiet day passed, with no word from Austin. He hadn't talked to me since I mentioned my distaste for the Great Escape, not that I really cared. Opinions are like buttholes; Everyone has one, and they stink.

Sure, I was a little harsh, and it wasn't even the band's fault that she died, but, I was mad at them because it gave me a reason to not completely blame myself.

It was shallow, and unfair, but it made me human.

I glanced out the window, watching the starry sky, and suddenly feeling so small and helpless beneath it. Normally I was a pretty fierce person who feared very few things, and the type of person who was not sentimental.

But, looking at the sky and the way it's glowing orbs stretched for miles and miles, it reminded me that I was much smaller than I thought, and that even if I was unafraid of people, I would never be as big or infinite as the stars.

I never realized how much I would miss my phone until I no longer had one. Well, I had one, but it wasn't mine. Most people would be tempted to snoop through a stranger's phone; I, however, tried not to remember Austin breathed if I could.

Plus, I was scared to go through his phone and find a lot of naked chicks, or even worse. No, Ally Dawson was already scarred for life, and I don't think her mental capacity could hold much more.

_Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, we're on our way,_

_To help the baby penguin and save the day._

_We're not too big,_

_And we're not too tough…._

_But when we work together, we've got the right stuff…_

I smirked as Austin's new ringtone went off, and I picked it up just before the last ring.

"Hello?"

"Princess, why did it take you so long to answer? I thought you weren't going to pick up."

"Well, there were two reasons for that."

"And those reasons would be…?"

"Oh, it's quite simple. One, it was you calling; And two, I love your new ringtone so much that I can't stop listening to it."

"New ringtone? And what exactly did you change it to, Ally?"

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see."

"Ally…" Austin whines.

"Austin…" I repeat, smirking when I heard him huff.

"Secrets don't keep friends."

"Yes, but friends keep secrets."

"Does this mean we're friends then?"

"Hell no. We are anything but friends, Austin. I may not hate your existence, but I am currently not accepting any new applications for friends at this moment. Thank you for your request and for applying."

"Oh princess. You love me, for starters. And we're already friends. In fact, I bet you're already in love with me."

"Oh for sure, Austin, let me tell you. I mean, I just love your cocky manner, and you're inconsideration for other people, and the way you probably have more crabs than a beach."

"Ouch, Ally. That hurts. I think you really bruised my ego this time."

"Take two advil, a healthy dose of rejection, and call me in the morning."

"Why would I call you in the morning, when I can just call you now?"

"Just 48 hours left." I mutter under my breath.

"What was that, Ally?"

"Oh, nothing."

"I believe I heard you mutter something about 48 hours, which makes me think that you might be counting down the hours until we meet as well. I knew you couldn't stay away."

"Look, Romeo. Let's get one thing straight. I just want my phone back. That's all. I don't want a boyfriend, or a fuck buddy, or even really friends right now. It's not you, it's your taste in music."

"My taste in music? Ally, you hardly know anything about me. I just realized that we've known each other for about 4 days, and I still only know your first name."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It is a bad thing! I am talking to a girl, and usually I try to at least learn her last name before I fuck her."

"Fuck? Excuse me? Who said anything about fucking? I do not hook up, especially with strangers. Austin, we are not hooking up. Not now, not ever."

"Ah, I love the fact that you're so innocent. I think the fact that you're a virgin is intriguing."

"Who said I was a virgin?"

"Oh please, Ally. I can spot a virgin from a mile away and I know for a fact that you are a virgin."

"Yeah, ok. I forgot you know so much more about me than I do, my bad. Anyway, where are we meeting to exchange phones?"

"Well, first off, you live in Miami, right?"

"Yes, that would be where I reside. Good old Miami. Home of beaches, sunshine, and fake tits."

"Well, I will be in Miami in 48 hours, but I'm only staying a couple days."

"So, you don't live in Miami then?"

"Well, I was born and raised in Miami, and my parents live in Miami, but I travel a lot."

"Sounds exotic. I would take travelling over attending school. I hate everyone here."

"Ah, princess. There is no need to be so negative."

"Gee, sorry mother. I'll really make a better effort to love all the moronic assholes I am forced to deal with on a daily base. Anyway, you didn't answer my question. Where are we meeting in order to make the big, exciting exchange?"

"Well, I was thinking… Maybe the concert?"

"Please tell me we're not talking about The Great Escape concert coming up?"

"We would be talking about that very concert."

"Austin, I can't stand their music, I can't stand the people in the band, I hate all the illiterate fangirls who strut around, and I don't even have a fucking ticket. I'll be damned if I am going to pay all that money for a concert that I have no desire to attend."

Austin is silent for a moment, and my phone goes off, alerting me to a new text message. Taking advantage of the momentary silence, I check my messages.

**Babe.. I'm so sad! The Great Escape concert is completely sold out! I'll never get to meet my idols and dazzle the great and amazing Austin Moon. -T**

I roll my eyes at Trish. Of course she would make a big deal about something so stupid. I mean, there are Africans starving, and she's worried about a stupid concert?

"Ally? Did you hear me?"

"No, sorry, what did you say?"

"Ally, I am offended! Here I am, arranging the most epic meeting that has ever happened in your life, and you're sitting there in oblivion, ignoring me?"

I roll my eyes again and stay silent, waiting for him to get to the point.

"I said, would you go if I gave you a ticket?"

"Is there no other way to meet?"

"I'm afraid that will be the only time I'm not so busy."

"Fine, I'll go, but on one condition."

"Anything for you, princess."

"I want two tickets."

"Two tickets? You're getting kind of demanding there, aren't you?"

"In the wise words of Howie Mandel, "Deal or no deal?"

I hear Austin sigh quietly in the background, and a very long moment of uncomfortable silence passes by before he seems to regain his thoughts.

"Of course I will get you two tickets to The Great Escape, but I have a condition as well."

"And that would be?"

"You have to tell me your last name."

I shake my head. It wasn't a very big request, of course. In fact, as far as all the requests he could've chosen, it was innocent enough. But, I didn't see why last names were all that terribly important.

"Well princess, what say you? Will you tell your prince charming the last name of his dazzling damsel, or will you leave me in the cold?"

"First off, I am not your damsel. I will never depend on a man, no matter what. But yes, I will tell you my last name, although I still fail to understand why you want to know so badly."

"I have my reasons…"

"Fine. My last name is Dawson. Are you happy now?"

"Ecstatic. Now I know where you live, and your full name, princess."

"Yeah, cool story bro. Now, go make me a sandwich."

"Very classy, Ally Dawson. Isn't that your job?"

"Absolutely not. My cooking skills are shit. I once burned water. Anyway, I have to go now. It's almost midnight, and my parents will freak out if they hear me up this late."

"Princess, it is summer. I fail to see why they should give a shit when it's summer."

"They just do. Good night, jupiter."

"Good night, princess."

This time he hung up the phone, and I laid my hand down, shaking out the aching cramp that was forming. Apparently we had been on the phone long enough for me to get cramps. It appeared I was getting almost too comfortable with Austin.

**Babe! Did you not get my message? I mean, I know you can't stand The Great Escape, but they are like, my favorite band… You could at least show fake concern. -T**

**Trish… I have done you a solid. I have gotten us two tickets to the concert thanks to yours truly. -Ally**

**NO WAY! You are shitting me, right? Like, if I pinch myself, this will all be a dream; A beautiful, perfect dream. Ally Dawson does not attend concerts like this. Someone call CNN! -T**

**Shut up, Trish. You're welcome. I got us tickets, and I'll talk to you in the morning, kay? -Ally**

**I'll be expecting a phone call soon, then. I expect you bright eyed and bushy tailed by noon-thirty. -T**

**Kay, love you babe. -Ally**

**Night. -T**

I rolled over, prepared to turn in early for the night, when I got another text. Take a wild guess who it was.

**Princess… Why are you skipping out on our conversation? I think you actually like our conversations and that after tomorrow, you're going to like The Great Escape. Get ready to become their number one fan. -Baller**

**You're so full of bologna, you work for Oscar Meyers. -Ally**

**I am the king of bologna, and you are the queen of cliche. I think you are scared to meet me and realize that I'm even more dazzling than you expected. Get ready, Ally, because I am going to knock your socks off. -Baller**

**I'm sorry, I think you're full of shit. I will not be dazzled, or wooed, or swept off my feet. I am not a regular girl, and this isn't some bullshit fairytale. -Ally**

**Ah, princess, prepare to eat your words, because I am going to show you what being dazzled is. -Baller**

**Yeah, ok. I think it's time to return what ever drugs you bought, because clearly, they are giving you severe delusional side-effects. I think it's time to schedule an appointment with your doctor, because you are on some wack shit that is making you clinically insane. -Ally**

**Aww, I think it's cute that you keep changing the topic. Hiding something, Ally? -Baller**

**Oh, not yet. But, pretty soon a body will be missing, and when people ask where Austin went, I'm going to deny all knowledge of any and all coincidences. But, I have been hiding something… The spot where I'm going to burry your body. Surprise! -Ally**

**Strange… I always thought that getting a surprise from you would be a more rewarding and pleasing gift. Can I return your gift, because I kind of hate it… -Baller**

**That's the thing about life… This isn't build a bitch workshop; You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit. -Ally**

**You amuse me. I find you extremely annoying and childish, but for some reason, Ally Dawson, you're perfect to me. -Baller**

**Now you're just playing the bullshit card and trying to flatter me. Flattery will get you nowhere, Austin. Anywhore, I'm going to bed now. Good night, Jupiter. -Ally**

**Good night, princess. Remember, the world is ugly, but you're beautiful to me. -Baller**

I give Austin my usual eye roll and I turn over on my side to fall asleep. Much to my dismay, however, I have a smile plastered to my face. Sure, Austin wasn't on my list of people I would willingly allow in my life, but he was doing a semi-decent job at breaking down my layers.


	5. I Like That Old Time Rock 'N Roll

My morning started off as the typical Snow White fairytale. I awoke to my alarm shrieking shitty music in my ear, the sun was directly in my eyes, and my bathrobe was still in the dirty clothes because Jared puked on it recently. But, other than that, it was your typical princess fairytale.

Also, my hair was messy and I looked like shit. I was just your typical, average princess. I groggily got out of bed, my feet touching the bare carpet in great defeat. If there was one thing Ally Dawson hated, it was waking up early for anything. But, today I was going in to work early, which meant I actually had to rise myself out of bed before noon.

I was supposed to call Trish, but at the moment, food sounded like a better option, and it was too early in the morning to deal with her Austin Moon babbling. Ok, so it was already 10, but still.

Another thing I did not deal well with was having full fledged conversations in the morning shortly after waking up. Good thing that was the last thing on Jared's mind as I walked into the kitchen.

He shot me one of his usual glares, which was almost normal now. I had hoped he would be over it by now, but as usual, Jared's pride had been wounded and he wasn't going to be quick to forgive, much to my dismay.

I sighed as I walked past him and poured myself a steaming cup of coffee, while his glare burned into the back of my head. I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to call him out on how stupid he was currently being.

I had already apologized numerous times, and I had tried to explain that I didn't have my phone, but no, he was too good to listen to reason. I hoped he would find his big boy undies soon, because my patience was waning very thin, and I was close to snapping.

The rest of the morning passed by uneventfully, before I found myself back in Hot Topic with my most favorite person in the entire world… Kira. Yes, it was just Kira and I working today. It looked like the universe was most definitely against me.

Kira gave me her usual I'm-better-than-you-can-ever-hope-to-be looks and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder like a typical prep. This was one of the reasons I could not stand preps. But, this was only reason 1 out of 3,000,000,000.

Luckily for me, Kale was here, not that he was much help most of the time.

"Good morning, Ally." He said, his ass planted behind the counter, eyes not moving from his laptop screen. What can I say, Kale had impeccable social skills.

I mean, he was Ken doll handsome, with shaggy brown hair that looked like he never brushed it, blue eyes with extremely girly eyelashes, and he was kind of lacking in the muscles department. What girl wouldn't fall for him?

"Good morning Kale." I say, feigning cheerfulness, since he tends to get upset when we don't arrive with an attitude matching that of Cheer Bear. I clocked in, and slipped on the standard uniform, while I waited for instructions.

For the first time in my life, or at least since I started working at Hot Topic, Kira wasn't flirting with Kale. In fact, she was on the complete opposite side of the store. It was quite an interesting sight, almost National Inquirer worthy.

"You'll be working the register today Ally. Remember the goal?"

"Sell, sell, sell." I respond nonchalantly, in an almost monotone voice. I've recited those three words so frequently that I could mumble them while still mostly asleep. It was just one of my many talents.

"Good job. If you keep up that spirit, you just might become Assistant Manager by the end of this year!" Kale contended, his overly-chipper voice making those dorky hats at McDonald's seem strangely appealing.

Yay! That's always been my dream! To become Assistant Manager of Hot Topic! Like, I can barely contain my excitement! I thought sarcastically. However, I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut, and instead of voicing my thoughts, I gave Kale an innocent smile.

Kira was glaring at me from the other side of the store as she restocked CD's. I didn't see what her problem was. It wasn't like I had my heart set on dorky Kale. I would rather date Austin Moon than be stuck with a dork like Kale.

Actually, that wasn't true. They both had pretty crappy personalities, so I'd say they were about evenly matched. Austin was cocky, peevish, and enjoyed calling me whenever it tickled his fancy; Kale was selfish, lazy, and dorky. But he shared one typical trait that all men seemed to have adopted over the years; It was either Ken's way or the highway.

I felt like Kale's idea of a good time involved going to Star Trek conventions and having long, romantic nerd fests reading the latest Marvel comics. Now, Kale wasn't hideous; In fact, he was relatively attractive, despite his quirky personality and annoying excessive optimism.

He didn't really look like the type to crack out on Star Trek, but as I had found out, looks can be deceiving. Plus, he wore Star Trek merchandise often enough, and I had a pretty good hypothesis that he owned half their stock of franchise. I had a burning feeling that he probably owned more than half of their collection of t-shirts, coffee mugs, and key chains. At least, it wouldn't surprise me.

Although, I failed to see why someone like Kira, who was shallow, manipulative, spoiled, but exceedingly beautiful would secretly go for someone like Kale. Kale was decent looking, but an obsessive nerd, and when you're dating the quarterback, I don't see why you'd trade the best for… Kale.

As opening time approached, Kale went back to his office to "do some very important and pressing work", which really just meant sleeping at his desk while we, I mean I, slaved away and waited on customers hand and foot. I just love my life.

Kira, as always, assumed the important task of filing her precious nails. I didn't see why she bothered, since I was sure she got weekly manicures. The day passed by with less excitement than my previous work day, but that doesn't mean that I didn't get into a few scuffles… Mostly with Kira.

Our main scuffle involved her freaking out about me moving some of the items around the store. It wasn't like she deserved a say anyway, or that she cared where the items even went. If it were up to her, they'd never even find their way onto the shelf. No, she just cared because it was me moving them around.

It was around closing time when Austin finally decided to grace me with a text. Not that I really cared, but it gave me something to do.

**Princess, just 24 hours left. Excited yet? -Baller**

**Yes, I'm ecstatic. I'm excited for this to be over(: -Ally**

**Meow… Someone's feeling catty today. -Baller**

**Only towards you. -Ally**

**I feel so special now. -Baller**

**Sarcasm is not a good look for you. I think cocky or a jack ass are more your style. -Ally**

**Rude! I don't know why I bother to attempt conversation with you, because you're very rude. But, your voice is sexy, so it makes it all worth it. -Baller**

**Just 24 more hours… and then this will be all over. -Ally**

**Ah, but Ally, it is just beginning. We are far from over, and tomorrow, I think you're in for quite the surprise. -Baller**

**Are you hinting at something, Jupiter? -Ally**

**You bet your sweet ass I am. How does a limo sound? -Baller**

**Like the worst idea you've ever had. It's _just_ a concert. It's not like this is prom. -Ally**

**But, I like my women arriving in style. -Baller**

**Good thing I'm not one of your women then. I don't see the fuss over limos, honestly. They're not that amazing. I don't like them. I mean, I didn't even take one to prom. -Ally**

**But, aren't girls supposed to go crazy over shit like that? Would you rather I send you a large bouquet of flowers? Roses maybe? -Baller**

**No, I don't want anything, except my phone back. That's really all I want. That's the only thing that's motivating me to go to that concert. -Ally**

**Ok, Ally. Since you hate The Great Escape so much, what kind of music do you like? -Baller**

**I don't see why you care. -Ally**

**It's quite simple, actually. I'm trying to get to know you better, and I figure what better way than through music? -Baller**

**Fine. But, I will figure out your game, Austin. I'm not that naive. My music taste varies from "This song is perfect", to "Oh God, I know, don't judge me." My favorite bands are The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Disturbed. -Ally**

**I went and saw a Disturbed concert when I was 14. It was pretty epic. So, it's safe to say you have quite a diverse taste in music? -Baller**

**Yes, that would be the adjective I'd use to describe my music taste. I really love classic rock, like 60's, 70's, and 80's. I like metal and rock as well. -Ally**

**What about pop? -Baller**

**Some of it is ok, I guess. I don't hate pop, but it's not really my cup of tea. I don't mind Katy Perry. -Ally**

**I feel ignored. You have not asked me what my favorite band is, Ally Dawson. -Baller**

**Ok, oh wise and mighty Austin. What is your favorite band? -Ally**

**Well, I'm glad you asked. It's The Script. I've been a fan of them since I was 13. My other favorite band is the Beatles. -Baller**

**Finally, someone who acknowledges that the Beatles are perfection! -Ally**

**Does this mean I win points with you, princess? -Baller**

**Well... Maybe a couple. You've officially graduated from the Jackass University, and have transferred to the University of Tolerable. Congradulations! -Ally**

I'm grinning at my phone like a complete idiot, which is out of character for me. Ally Dawson is not the type of girl to fawn over guys... Unless it's Mick Jagger, but that's a completely different story. But, for some reason, my current conversation with Austin had me breaking out my biggest grins.

I was trying not to get too attached to my annoying and overbearingly smug suitor, but he did have a decent taste in music, and seemed like an okay kind of guy, when he wasn't being Mr. Jackass.

But, I was damn determined that nothing was going to happen between us. For one thing, I had my heart set on this guy named Dallas for a while now. 2 years, to be exact; And I wasn't really looking for anyone else in the romantic department. Especially not an egoistical asshole like Austin.

I was not a cactus expert, but I knew a prick when I saw one; Or rather, I knew a prick when I texted him. Austin was playing nice right now, but he wouldn't be so friendly later on, when I rejected his obvious attempts at getting me into the bed.

I was not an idiot, and I had a fairly good idea what game he was playing at. I ignored his usual attempts at flirting because I wouldn't suck his dick. So now, he was trying to woo me by talking about bands with me and trying to convince me that he genuinely gave a shit about my thoughts. He was good, but not good enough.

Austin, you're about to meet your match.


	6. In The Air Tonight

I awoke earlier than usual, and I groaned in annoyance. It was too damn early to be getting up. I mean, my alarm clock said it was only 10 a.m. There was no way in hell this was a natural thing.

Normally I do an outstanding job of sleeping in till at least 1 p.m. On a good day. If I don't have to wake up early you bet your sweet ass I'm not. I tried rolling over on my side to enjoy more sleep, but it appeared that sleep and I wouldn't be uniting for a few hours.

My cell phone started ringing, and I sighed, before blindly reaching for it.

"I told you to stop calling me so fucking early in the morning, Austin."

"Austin? Who's Austin?" Trish asks, sounding mildly intrigued.

"Oh, hey Trish. Thank god it's you. Why are you calling me so early?"

"Did you forget what today is?"

"Uh..." I try to start my brain, fumbling around in my memory for anything special. I was coming up with zilch.

"Ally, you seriously forgot? Today's the day of The Great Escape's concert! Today will be the day I meet my future husband."

"Ugh. That's right. Why did you have to remind me? I was feeling a sense of joy, until you reminded me of the horror that awaits me."

"Oh, come on. I know you hate The Great Escape, but I am thrilled, and just think, maybe you'll meet your future husband there!"

"Oh goody. If they are at a The Great Escape concert they are not the right type of man in which to make contact with."

"Stop being a buzz kill! Tonight is going to be the most memorable night of our lives!"

Oh, memorable would definitely be the right adjective. Or maybe disaster was the better phrase. Who knows, maybe the concert will get canceled and I can avoid this whole predicament entirely.

"Look, it's not because of the damn concert. Well, not entirely."

"What's troubling you now, Alls?"

"It's a boy..."

"Ooh! Did Dallas finally make a move on you?"

"No, it's not really a good kind of boy trouble."

"Well, what kind of boy trouble is it then?"

"Austin."

"Austin...?" Trish asks, sounding fully engulfed in our conversation.

"Oh, shit, I never told you about Austin! Uh, it's nothing."

"Oh no you don't, Ally. I want details, and I want them now. You better get dressed, because I will be there in precisely 10 minutes, and we're going to Starbucks."

"Trish I really don't-"

"Great! See you in a few!" Trish calls excitedly, before abruptly ending the call. Damn it Ally! Why couldn't I ever keep my big mouth shut?

* * *

Trish remained true to her word and arrived exactly 10 minutes later. I hurried out of the house before she honked the horn and woke anyone else up. It was time for normal people to be up, but my family enjoyed sleeping in late. We even had competitions.

I slid into the car, and we were rolling off before I could even buckle my seatbelt.

"Jesus Christ! Trish, what's the big hurry?"

"Well, for starters, I've had a craving for a Caramel Frappuccino since like, 9, and my best friend has been having a secret affair with some boy named Austin and hasn't even bothered to tell me about it. So, I'm quite intrigued."

"Can't we talk about the weather, or something?" I ask weakly.

"Nope. Absolutely not. Oh good, there's Starbucks!" and she veers right suddenly, pulling into the parking lot.

"One of these days you're going to get a ticket."

"Hey man, everything is legal until you're caught. And I'll get better at driving, maybe. Come on, time is wasting!" Trish says, grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me into the coffee shop.

We order and wait for our orders, and for once, Trish is silent. I'm sure the wait must be killing her, but she won't give me the third degree until she's gotten some caffeine in her system.

I wait patiently, hoping every time the bell rings, it's not our order. The sooner the order comes, the sooner I have to fess up about my week, and that's not a topic I feel like discussing.

Finally, much to my dismay, the bell rings, and we get our coffee. The minute we get to our table, Trish begins. "So, tell me all about Austin. I mean, every single detail. Don't hold back."

I sigh, and take a long sip of my coffee before I begin the long and tiring tale of Austin and our cell phone swap. When I'm finished, Trish is absolutely at a loss for words. I've actually rendered her speechless.

"How could you not tell me about something like this? This is the coolest thing that's happened since I finally passed my driver's test after 12 attempts."

"I guess, I didn't want to mention it. I was hoping that it would all go away quickly, and I'd be able to pass it off as some kind of crazy dream."

"And he's meeting us at the concert? What exactly do you know about this Austin fella? Is he cute?"

"I don't know. I've never seen any photos of him. All I know is he's 18, his name is Austin, and apparently he's also a huge fan of The Great Escape. Oh, and he's cockier than anyone I've ever meet, conceited, and a humongous pain in my ass."

"This is some sweet stuff. Ally, you finally have an adventure. We finally have something to look forward to."

"I just can't wait for it to be over. It's weird. I hate Austin, so much, because he's everything I should despise, and everything I do despise. Everything about him repulses me, but I also have this strange sense of... Interest? I like him, but I don't know how much. And that pisses me off, because after just a week of talking to him, I've been captivated."

Trish is beaming, her smile brighter than the sun. "You know what this means, right?"

"No.." I say, a little worried. Trish could come up with some pretty risky scenarios. Her plans were not to be trusted, or attempted under any circumstance.

"Well, this means I get to play Barbie for the afternoon! We have got to make you look good, girl."

"Trish, that's really not necessary... I'm not planning on impressing anyone. I just want my phone back."

"Nope. I insist. Ally, I am going to make you look hotter than... Than... I'll think of something hot, just give me a minute... Actually, never mind. But, I'm swinging around your house at 6, and we're getting ready together."

"Trish..." I begin to protest, but it's pretty obvious that Trish has made up her mind, and once she does that, there is no stopping her. It's not humanly possible to stop Trish once she has an idea embedded in her brain. I know this from the countless groundings I had received for going along with her crazy schemes.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent dreading the approaching night. I did nothing but watch Breaking Bad on my laptop all day. There was no word from Austin, which seemed a little bizarre, since usually he harassed me all day long. And today would be the day I thought was most likely for him to begin hassling me.

6 'o clock rolled around, and Trish showed up, dancing around with energy that I hadn't seen since her red bull obsession.

"Ready to win Austin's heart?" She cheered as she barged straight into my room. I glanced up, trying to feign excitement for the concert. I had no enthusiasm, whatsoever.

"I'm ready to go to bed..."

"Well, too bad. You're the designated driver, and the driver is not allowed to slumber. By the way, I'm sleeping over here tonight. Oh, where did I put my curling iron?" She asks, as she begins slinging things out of her bag. I turn on some music figuring that only my music will help me get through tonight.

_I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh lord._

_And I've been waiting for this moment, for all my life, Oh lord._

_Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh lord, oh lord..._

Oh, yes, I could definitely feel something coming in the air tonight, and it wasn't of

the warm and fuzzy variety. Trish shoved me into a chair and began the task of curling my hair.

I didn't see why she bothered to curl my hair, since it was naturally a frizz ball anyway. But, after an hour of torture, I had to admit, my hair looked pretty damn good. It was a little more girly than I had imagined, but it wasn't the most castratory look I had ever had. The curls were loose, but more curly than wavy.

She then did my make up; Winged eyeliner, mascara, and light pink lip gloss. I hated wearing makeup for the most part. I thought it hid who I really was, and it felt icky.

And the final step of Phase 1 Ruin-Ally's-Life was completed with Trish dressing me. I was in leather high waisted shorts, my Beatles crop top, and studded boots. I had to admit, it looked pretty sweet, even if I didn't wear shorts anywhere except gym.

I sat around and played on Tumblr while Trish fussed with getting herself all dolled up. I was getting more nervous as the hours passed by, and before I knew it, it was time to begin our short descend to the stadium.

"Ally! Your ride's here!" My mom called from downstairs, as I found my purse and tucked the tickets safely inside. I looked at Trish in confusion. She returned my eyes with her own expression of surprise. Well, who were we ridding with then?

We walked down the stairs, to see my mom at the front door, talking to a man in an all black suit. "Have fun tonight, sweetie! Remember to be safe." My mom tells me, kissing my forehead before stepping aside.

Outside is a black stretch limo, and my eyes shoot open in bewilderment just as Trish's squeals fill my ears. "No freaking way! We're ridding in a limo? Hell yeah!" She says, as she runs towards the limo. I grit my teeth together as I walk towards the limo. That little shit completely ignored my request.

The interior of the limo is pretty sweet, I must admit. Black leather seats that are more comfortable than my bed, a mini bar, fully stocked, and a freaking hot tub in the back! How much more lavish did a limo need to be? Who in their right mind went swimming in a car?

**How are you enjoying the snazzy ride? Pretty sweet wheels, huh? -Baller**

**I'm mad at you! I said no limos! And how did you know where I live? -Ally**

**Oh, I just had to google you. Congratulations on winning that tournament with the Mathletes, by the way. -Baller**

**STALKER! That is fucking creepy. -Ally**

**Oh, bullshit. Admit it Ally, you like the limo. I picked it out, by the way. -Baller**

**Do I even want to know where you got the cash for this? -Ally**

**Oh, my parents are loaded. Look under the seat closest to the minibar. -Baller**

I reach over to the left seat, and feel around under it, before my hands skim across a box. I pick it up, and eye it suspiciously. It could be something cool, or it could be condoms, for all I know.

Trish's eyes are trained on me as she watches me slowly unravel the ribbon. She's tapping her foot impatiently, leaning slightly forward in her seat. Jesus, she's more excited about the gift than I am.

I open the box up and pick up a small, folded up piece of white paper.

"I hope you like the gift. I look forward to meeting you, Ally Dawson. When I saw this, I just automatically thought of you. Love, your prince." I read out loud, feeling just a little excited. He was being just a tad bit romantic right now.

"Well, what's in the box?" Trish demands, looking like she wants to lunge at me right now.

"Calm your tits, I'm opening it right now." I say, removing the lavender tissue paper. My eyes widen in surprise and I nearly shriek in disgust. Trish notices my expression and she gives me a questioning look. Clearly, she thinks I'm speechless over the gift, because she yanks it from my hands.

Her eyes widen and she throws the box to the ground. "Ew, worms? What the fuck? What kind of guy sends a girl worms?"

"I know. I guess I should've expected something like this. He is pretty immature, after all."

"Well, it could be worse..."

"How could there possibly be a worse gift?"

"Well, he could've pulled a Van Gough and sent you his ear."

"Ew! That's disgusting, Trish."

"You love me."

My phone goes off, and I grit my teeth again, before opening the text message.

**It's a wonderful gift, eh? I thought of you because you're so dirty and sort of a little worm. -Baller**

**Oh, gee. Thank you, Austin. I always wanted worms as a gift. This is even better than my birthday. -Ally**

**I'm glad you like them then. -Baller**

**You're such an asshole. -Ally**

**Yes, but in approximately an hour, I'll be your asshole. -Baller**

**I'm rolling my eyes and flipping you off right now, just so you know. I figured since you can't see me, I'd give you the play-by-play. -Ally**

**Ooh, you want to fuck me, Ally? That's adorable! I knew you'd cave in eventually. -Baller**

**Gee, how mature, Austin. What is this, ninth grade? -Ally**

**I am the most mature man alive. Especially when it comes to sex. I have to go, but I'll see you at the concert, ok? -Baller**

**Wait, how will I know it's you? -Ally**

**Trust me, you'll just know when you see me. -Baller**

I groaned in frustration. What the hell did he mean by 'You'll know when you see me?' There were bound to be half a million fan girls at this thing, and I'm sure there would be at least a few guys there too, most likely being dragged there against their will by their girlfriends.

Austin, just what _are_ you planning, exactly?


	7. Little Lies

_Hey guys, Del here! I hope all my seductive peasants are doing exceptionally well! I have a quick Author's note, because I have received several questions over this, and it is time to clear the air, wouldn't you agree?_

_Ok,so "Does Ally know who Austin is?" No, she has absolutely no clue that her "Jupiter" is the one and only Austin Moon. The part where I said "Austin Moon, you're about to meet your match." Was a complete and utter mistake._

_Oh, and the part where Trish said "Austin? Who's Awesome?" Wrong sentence. Hopefully it will be updated soon… (I just fixed both mistakes, so here's hoping.) Sorry for all the useless yammering…_

_I apologize for the confusion and I will make more of an honest attempt to make sure that these things do not happen in the future. And now, without further adieu… Ladies and gentleman, here is the chapter you've all been waiting for! Time has run out… Here's Chapter 7!_

* * *

Here I find myself, quickly approaching our destination: the Knight International Center; I'm about to meet a boy that I find infuriating, and see a band that I cannot stand. This night is already going to suck chinchilla balls. I can just feel it deep in my bones.

Trish is getting more antsy the closer we get, and she about leaps out of her seat when we finally pull up. There are already huge crowds of girls wearing The Great Escape merchandise, squealing, and blasting their shitty songs through the outside speakers. Gee, cheers to me.

Our driver comes over to our side of the limo and opens the door. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding in and reluctantly slide out of the limo. I could already feel the butterflies.

**Where are we meeting? -Ally**

Trish notices that I have stopped to text Austin, and she huffs with great impatience. I sigh, and put my phone back in my pocket, before forcing a smile and walking faster to catch up with her.

"Keep up, Ally! Today is the greatest day of my entire life, and there will be no wasting it! Not one single second."

"But, I have to find out where I'm supposed to meet Austin."

"Well, he can wait until after the concert. It's going to start soon, and it's crucial that we get there in time. I want to see what I'm up against."

We hand our tickets to the booth manager, who ushers us in quickly, in a great effort to keep the lines from getting any longer than they already are. I was glad that we had arrived early enough.

The inside was nice and air conditioned, which was a nice change from the still hot summer afternoon. I had never been to a concert here in Miami, so I was sort of curious about all the decor. But, my desire to look around was put out immediately when Trish practically shoved me through the entrance to the arena.

"Jesus Trish! You almost broke my arm!"

"No pain, no gain. Now, let's see… Row 2A. Ooh! That's in the very front! We're going to be right by the stage! I like this Austin boy; He seems like a swell kid." She saunters off to our seats, and I warily cling along.

I'm already repulsed by the reeking stench of Hollister perfume, and the massive amount of teens screaming at the tops of their lungs. The band isn't even on the stage yet, for fuck's sake!

I really wish I had brought ear plugs, or that I was deaf. Hey, at the rate of all the noise in the arena, it was a definite possibility.

I checked my phone once more, hoping for a response. There was one, but it wasn't the answer I wanted, nor was it extremely helpful.

**On planet Earth. -Baller**

**Real fucking funny Austin. Now, where are we meeting so we can swap phones? -Ally**

**I'll meet you inside, at the concert. Gotta go! -Baller**

* * *

20 minutes later, the band _finally_ decides to grace us with their presence. The minute their silhouettes are in view, the shrieking intensifies, and I sincerely wish I had a gun. Suicide was better than being at this concert. "What's up Miami?!" one of the band members, the bassist asks, earning very loud screaming. _Oh please, oh mighty Satan, come save me from this hell!_

"We're the Great Escape, and we want to thank you for coming out here to see us. Without the crazy amount of support from all of you, we would still be playing in Kevin's garage!"

The drummer, who I'm assuming must be Kevin raises a thumb, and flashing a smile at the crowd of hyperventilating girls.

"We'll start with a song everyone should know… So sing along!"

The music starts, the lights dim a little, and the crowd goes silent for a whole 2.1 seconds before they launch into Just the Girl.

_She's cold, and she's cruel, but she knows what she's doing…_

_She pushed me in the pool at our last school reunion._

_She laughs at me dreams, but I dream about her laughter._

_As strange as it seems, she's the one I'm after._

_'Cause she's bittersweet,_

_She knocks me off of my seat._

_And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else._

_She's a mystery, she's too much for me…_

_But, I keep coming back for more…_

_She's just the girl I'm looking for!_

This song didn't make even a lick of sense. First the song talks about this chick that is basically this humongous bitch, and then it talks about how this girl knows what to say to ruin his day. Why would anyone want to be with someone like that? No one was worth all of that.

* * *

Three more songs pass by, each sounding the same, with the same stupid, pathetic lyrics.

My ears were ringing from all the fucking screaming, and I was becoming a rather bitter person as the minutes slowly ticked by.

"Ok, this next song is written about that one person that you want to meet, no matter how bad, and you have that determination… So, this goes out to my princess."

_Jane Doe, I don't even know you,_

_But, I know for sure, that you are beautiful._

_So let me know, your name._

_Damn, what's her name?_

_'Cause I'm overly attracted,_

_And terribly convinced,_

_That you could be my princess,_

_and I could be your prince…_

I freeze, as the wheels in my head begin wildly turning. Ok, this was all getting a little too coincidental for my liking. The boy I was texting was named Austin… And the lead singer was also named Austin… Jupiter liked The Great Escape quite immensely, and Austin was the lead singer of The Great Escape.

Now, those were both things I could pass off as extreme coincidences… But, when Austin sang that line "You could be my princess, and I could be your prince…" I wasn't sure why I remembered this, but I recalled Jupiter saying the same thing to me when he decided to call my princess…

I was starting to get uncomfortable, my stomach felt like it was in my throat right now. What was I supposed to do? My instincts were telling me to flee now, to find another way to exchange phones. To confront Austin and demand to know why there were so many fucking coincidences.

But, the rational part of me knew that A) Trish was having a blast, and I'd be a terrible friend to take that away from her. And B) the more stubborn part of me kept telling myself that there was no way in hell it was the same person.

However, I still dreaded meeting Austin, whether he was Austin Moon, or my Jupiter. Either way, my social anxiety was kicking into overload, and I had a hard time fighting the urge to run. My natural instincts were telling me to get the hell out of here.

But, I was determined to stick it out. Ally Dawson was not a quitter, and she wasn't going to let some asshole popstar scare her. She was a big girl, and it wasn't like the exchange would take long anyway.

* * *

Three songs passed before we finally arrived at the final song of the night. I was happy that this would be over soon. I knew there was a reason that I hated concerts like this.

"Alright guys, we're going to do something just a little different tonight!" Austin yells into the mic, sweat clinging to his forehead, a wide grin plastered to his face. Ew. The whole crowd goes silent, curiosity finally shutting all the annoying little pincushions up.

"How many people here are familiar with The Beatles?"

The crowd goes berserk, everyone cheering wildly. There are a lot of whistles too. Freaking posers. I doubted 99% of the people here could consistently name more than 2 songs by the Beatles. Twist and Shout and Hey Jude didn't count, either. You can't claim to be a true fan if the only two songs you can name are the band's most popular songs.

"Well, I have this friend, who is an absolute Beatles fanatic! This girl has Beatlemania like crazy. It's a good thing that it's such an incredible band, or I might have concerns. But, I really think she is an amazing person, so without further adieu, Ally Dawson, here is our cover of Hello, Goodbye.

_You say yes, I say no._

_You say stop, but I say go, go, go. Oh no._

_You say goodbye, and I say hello._

_Hello, hello._

_I don't know why you say goodbye; I say hello._

I suddenly feel really mad, and worst of all, betrayed. I told Austin stuff I normally wouldn't tell anyone. I flirted with him, and I had started liking him. **Him.** The asshole who was too busy and concerned when I was 15 to sign an autograph for a sick fan.

I should've known something like this was too good to be true. Sure, Austin was probably the least likely guy I'd ever go for. Hell, even I didn't understand why I liked him. But, for some reason, I had. I liked that he was flirty, and that he made me laugh, after I was done killing my pillows.

I was so confused. He had lied to me! I knew I shouldn't have been surprised, but I had never found a bigger shock in my life. I felt like I had just been smacked in the face with a pile of textbooks. It hurt, and I didn't want to be here now, in any form.

Sure, I had hated being here in the first place. I was surprised Trish hadn't punched me yet. Trish's eyes are extremely wide throughout the song, and I can tell she's ready to demand an answer. If only I had a solid one to give her.

They finish the song, before some more useless words of bullshit endearment for their fans, and informing us that we can now go get stuff signed in the lobby. That was the furthest thing from my mind. I just wanted to get out of here, now.

We exit in silence, before Trish corners me and begins a rapid stream of questions.

"What the hell was that? Your Austin is the **Austin**? Did you know? No, of course you didn't! God, I'm sorry, that was a stupid question. What are you going to do? Are we going to meet him? Where are you supposed to swap phones at?"

I hold up a hand, shutting her up. I'm pale, and my palms are sweaty, and I feel like throwing up. I've never been so hurt, or angry, or confused in my life. What the fuck was going on?

"I don't know, Trish. I had no idea he was **that** Austin. And now I feel so stupid, because it was pretty much slapping me in the face! All the clues were right there, and I ignored them! I was so blind. I don't know where to exchange phones. I just want my phone back, and I want to forget this night ever happened."

Trish looks at me sympathetically before gently grabbing my arm and leading me towards the lobby. I want to drag my feet. I want to kick and scream, and kill Austin. I want to erase this memory and prevent it from ever happening.

We're the last ones in line, and I'm hoping that they'll run out of time and I won't have to deal with any of this. When we get to the table, Austin looks up and smiles at us, marker in his hand, ready to sign any merchandise we may have brought. Or, our hands, or who knows what else. He really doesn't know it's me.

I also note that he looks tense, and a little worried. He keeps scanning the crowd, probably looking for me. "What can I sign for such two beautiful ladies."

I take a step forward, struggling to remain calm. "Better pickup lines for starters. And second,I hate you." I hiss, my eyes narrowing.

His eyes widen in surprise. "Ally?"

"I want my phone back, now."

"Ah, it's great to finally meet you! I've dreamed about this moment for days. You're even more gorgeous than you sound."

Trish looks back and forth between the two of us, her face blank. He must notice the bitter look I have, because he sort of shifts uncomfortably.

"Right, your phone.. Just one minute." He turns to the remaining cluster of girls, his voice and expression changing. "Well, ladies, I want to thank you all so much for coming to the show. It's fans like you that make our dream come true. Alas, we must retire for the night. Stay gorgeous." He says winking. They giggle frantically, and Austin grabs my wrist, yanking me past the guards, Trish at our heels.

The guards don't even try to stop us, and the girls gasp, and I can feel their glares burning into my back. He leads us to his dressing room, before quickly ushering us in and motioning for us to sit. I choose to ignore his hospitality, and I continue to lean against the wall, my arms folded tightly against my chest.

"Can I get you anything?" He asks, heading over to a mini fridge near the couches.

"Yeah, my fucking phone." I hiss, my patience running thin. Is he really going to pretend everything is fine? That he didn't just stab me in the back?

He runs a hand through his hair, and lets out an exasperated sigh. "I don't see what you're so pissed about..."

That does it. I snap. "Oh, gee, I'm sorry that I'm not kissing your ass. I'm sure you're used to girls with about 5 brain cells, but I am not one of your fan-whores. You lied to me, Austin!"

"No, I didn't."

"Are you sure about that? Because, as I recall, you told me your name was Austin, but, you failed to tell me that you were Austin Moon. I sat there and told you things I've never even told Trish! I opened up to you, and you fucking stabbed me in the back. You **knew** how I feel about The Great Escape and about Austin Moon, and you still continued to pull me along for the ride."

"Ally, I have a good reason for doing what I did."

"Oh yeah? Let's hear it, then. Let's hear your oh-so-fucking good reason for betraying me, lying, and being a traitor."

He sighs again, and then reaches into his pocket and pulls out my phone. About time.

"First off, you're being a little over dramatic, Ally. I'm not a traitor. The reason I neglected to tell you that I was that Austin was because you were the first girl to treat me like a normal guy."

"Yeah, because I thought you were a normal guy."

"But, in addition to that, you called me out on my bullshit, you didn't go for my typical pickup lines. You were a challenge, and I wanted to pursue you. You kept me in line and for once, I found a girl who was actually witty, charming, and intelligent. I'm sorry, Ally."

I snort and then grit my teeth together in frustration. He really thinks giving me a lot of false compliments is going to get him back in my good graces? Well, he's got another thing coming. I am not one of those girls who needs to be told how pretty I am to feel good.

There was only one basic rule of being Ally Dawson's friend: Do not, under any circumstances, ever lie to me.

"Yeah? That was a really cute speech you wrote, and I want to give a round of applause to whoever wrote it for you. However, sorry doesn't mean shit to is only one thing I hate more than shitty music, and that's liars. I can't stand being lied to, for any reason. So you want to know what you can do with that apology? You can shove it right up your ass. Goodbye, Austin."

I snatch my phone out of his hand, throw his at him, and turn on my heel. Trish follows behind me, remaining silent. I hear Austin calling my name, but for the first time since we talked, I ignore him.

Today he showed me that he's worth absolutely nothing, and that he thinks that telling a girl she's pretty is the best way to get her to forgive him. He was even more shallow than I thought.

I am walking as fast as I can, Trish is practically sprinting to keep up with me. Hot tears blur my vision, but I keep walking. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm not staying anywhere near here.

"Ally, hold up!" Trish says, panting. I force myself to slow down to a normal paced walk, and she gives me a grateful glance. She gives me a sympathetic look, and I force myself to calm down.

"Ally, are you ok?" She asks, looking at me with the most concern I've ever seen in a look. I didn't know how to answer. Words failed me, thoughts seemed almost impossible to construct. So, I shrugged. How did you answer something that you couldn't even mentally process? I felt like I was just learning how to think for myself.

"Ally..." She begins again, but I manage to find my voice, even if my thought process was still not functioning.

"I don't know, Trish." I croak out, tears starting to flow down my cheeks. God, this is stupid. I'm crying over someone I hardly even knew. What was my deal all of a sudden? I didn't usually cry over stupid things... Like asshole boys.

She wraps an arm around me, and I tense up slightly. As I mentioned earlier, I am not the touchy-feely type of person. I was more of the "look but don't touch" kind of chick. But, I suppressed the urge to jerk away, and instead leaned into Trish a little bit.

"Do you want to go home now?" Trish asks gently, her voice indicating that she thinks I'm in a delicate state, and that I'll crack any second now. The problem was, she was right. God, now I was turning into one of those pathetic, whiny girls who mope around after a guy that clearly wasn't interested in her in the first place.

I nodded, and she linked her arm in mine, as we began to walk away from the arena. I felt numb, to put it simply. There was no other way to describe it.

For once, Ally Dawson had no sarcastic remarks ready to fire out at people; I felt like I had just been beaten down, and I was bruised. It was an aggravating feeling, and that made me even more furious. The fury and loathing inside of me outweighed the hurt, but it still felt like a tilt-a-whirl of emotions on the inside.


	8. Start Me Up

_Alright, so I got a couple of requests to do a chapter from Austin's POV, and I do believe that I'm going to try it. It might be a little more challenging than Ally's, but you should know, this challenge has been accepted. But, I really do want to thank everyone for sticking with me through all these annoying filler chapters and stuff. You guys are champs. I don't know what I'd do without you._

_I cried last night, because this story has the second most amount of follows on any story I have ever written. But, I was crying, because another one of my stories made it to the **front page **of its category. I mean, there were only 110 stories written in it, but I'd say 24/110 isn't such a bad spot to be in._

_Cx So, without further adieu, here is chapter 8, written in Austin's POV! Thank you all so much for reading, xoxo._

* * *

**Austin's POV:**

I ran a hand through my blonde hair in exasperation as I sat on my couch in my hotel room. I had imagined this night would go a million different ways. I had pictured various reactions on someone I had never seen, or at least, didn't remember seeing.

Normally I was sort of indifferent to girls. I'm not gay, and I'm not a man-whore, but relationships had never really been something I enjoyed. At least not once I became the leader of The Great Escape. When you become famous, it becomes a bit hard to truly know when someone likes you for you and not for your fame, or wealth, or all the free gifts you get.

There was something different about Ally Dawson. For some reason, over the course of over a week, I had realized that I actually sincerely and genuinely liked her. It wasn't love, but I did like her. I still do, actually.

I had expected her to be a little shocked, or upset, or angry. But, I had never expected her to be so… hurt. I knew that not telling her who I really was, keeping my fame concealed, was a terrible idea. But, I liked her from the very beginning. She was different from most girls I had been associated with.

She was feisty, temperamental, irritable, and rude. But, she didn't take my bullshit, and she was intelligent enough to actually hold up witty banters with me, and, she wasn't a fan of my music. I loved being in The Great Escape. It had been a dream of mine since I was 6 years old, but sometimes being in a band and having fame came with a great price.

I had no privacy anymore, and I was constantly surrounded by fakes. Hardly anyone in music or acting are real anymore, and Ally was a nice change of scenery.

I was beyond pissed; I was pissed at myself, Ally, and the whole world in general right now. Why did everything I touch break? God, I sounded like I was being melodramatic. Get a grip on things, Austin. You're not a little kid anymore, and you're most certainly not a little bitch.

A knock comes at the door, but I just ignore it. I don't want to deal with anyone right now, especially not any homo sapiens.

"Austin? Are you in there?" Dez asks, knocking again softly. I remain quiet, hoping that maybe if I just hold my tongue, he'll assume I'm not in here, and look elsewhere. Unfortunately, I tend to underestimate him sometimes, because he saunters right in anyway.

"Hey bro. What's wrong?" Dez asks, helping himself to some ice cream out of the my fridge. Fucking oinker.

"It's nothing." I say, making sure to keep my expression neutral and my tone even. It's a defense mechanism I've picked up over the years, and I've gotten good enough to fool anyone. Well, anyone except Dez. He gives me a hard look, assessing my posture, body language, and more importantly, my eyes.

"Right. We both know that's a load of horse crap. There is clearly something wrong, Austin Monica Moon. Now, what in the actual fuck is eating you alive? I've hardly ever seen you so down, or in your hotel room on a **Saturday** night."

"Just a girl." I state simply, my eyes glancing over at the tv. I had been staring at it for hours, and I couldn't recall a single thing I had watched today. It seemed like I was disoriented and a little out of it.

"Ah, girl problems. Well, this girl must be pretty damn important then. Usually it only takes you about a full day to get on with a girl. You're losing your touch. Austin, It's been three days since our concert in Miami, and I've never seen you look so… damaged."

"It was going ok, I guess. I mean, she's snarky, wild, and pretty unpredictable. But, she was a lot like me, I guess. I don't know. For the first time in a very long time, I met a girl who seemed to like me for me, and not because I was the lead singer of a boy band. I mean, perhaps I should've mentioned that I was Austin Moon when we started talking, but for once, I wanted someone who was real, and now I've gone and fucked things up."

"Well, you seem to be in quite the predicament. Lucky for you, the Love Doctor is in the house."

I snort a little bit, and cast a wary glance at Dez. He's my best friend, and I would do anything for him, but sometimes he comes up with some pretty… Crazy schemes. True to his nature, he was a bit of a player, and the girls seemed to really like him.

"Love Doctor indeed. Dez, you wouldn't know about love if it slapped you with a newspaper."

"Ah, but I'm more experienced with making up with girls than you are. It's true, my charm does lag in a few areas, but I always know what to do to make a girl forgive me."

"That's ok, Dez. I messed up, and I need to be the one to fix things. I'm sure I'll think of some way to show her that I'm not quite the big, egotistical asshole she thinks I am."

"But Austin, you **are **an egotistical asshole. It's in your nature, mate."

"You are absolutely wrong."

"I can safely say with confidence as your best friend and fellow band mate that you do in fact have a massive ego; It's quite a wonder that your head even fits on your body. But, lucky for you, you're a good looking guy."

"No homo."

"That was most definitely a homosexual moment. It's the first basic rule of a real friendship. If you and your best friend do not partake in homosexual moments, your friendship simply does not last. Just accept and embrace it."

I groan. "Why am I even friends with you?"

"Well, it's quite simple, really. A) I am the only one good-looking to be in your company, and the only one who actually tolerates you. B) I excel at everything I do, because, well, I am Dez. But, if I did have to point out my greatest talent, it's helping you come up with all the amazing ideas you have in your head. And don't bother lying, Austin. You have that look in your eyes, and I can practically see the wheels in your head turning. You're coming up with something, and it will be brilliant, I reckon."

And he was right. I was already coming up with a plan to show Ally that I wasn't quite as bad as I appeared. Sure, I had made a couple mistakes along the way, but I had a feeling she was going to be forgiving. Now, the only problem was finding a way to get her to agree to meet me in person...

That was going to be the main problem. I didn't know Ally as well as I would've liked, so I wasn't sure she could look past her pride, or that she would even want to be non-hostile towards me. I mean, I don't think I deserve it, but I know that women are as complicated as unexplained miracles, and that made my hope falter just a little.

Still, I had never been one to give up, and today was most definitely not the day to start. I had usually had good luck throughout my life, and I knew that somehow, I'd pull everything together. By some miracle, I was going to show her that I could be her knight in shinning armor, if she agreed to it. I wasn't looking for a relationship yet, because I could sense a certain reluctance from her. But, if I had to start out as friends, that was what I would do.

I just sincerely hoped I didn't get _bro zoned._ They say once you get into the '_friend zone_' you were already quite unfortunate. Once a girl viewed you as a friend, you were basically fucked. But, there was something even worse than being stuck in the friend zone. Yes, kiddies, such a thing exists. It's called being '_bro zoned_'. If you thought you never had a chance once you were friend zoned, it was even worse once you found yourself parking in the bro zone. Once someone gets stuck there, you can bet your sweet ass that there was no getting out of there with your pride still fully intact.

Sure, I didn't really want to start out as friends, but I figured it would be the best way to really get to know her. Every girl could be wooed, it just took some patience, and a lot of charm.

Charm, I had a lot of. I could get along with most people if I really wanted to. Patience was a little more tricky. I had always been one to act on my impulses and get things done. But, I had a strong hunch that taking that approach was going to be winning me points with Ally anytime soon. If I wanted this to work, I was really going to have to step it up.

Luckily, I had already devised the perfect plan, and I am going to win her over, even if it kills me. I had never really wanted to pursue just one girl for any permanent period of time, but I thought it was possible. If I gave up on dreams, I would not be living my life the way I was. I would still be in Miami, and I would've went on to be something that made me miserable.

* * *

I have spent about four days pondering on how to make everything work. I had no fool proof guarantee that nothing bad was going to happen with all of this, but I was rather hoping that somehow I would break through her walls. At least enough that she would have less desire to skin me alive. I normally didn't chase girls, I always waited for them to chase me. But, I figured it was time for an obvious change, and this was the easiest way.

I had texted and called Ally at least several times in the past few days, and each time, I was ignored or she hung up on me. I rang her number again, hoping that maybe she'd had long enough to simmer down slightly. It rang twice, before I was once again greeted with her voicemail.

_Hey, you've reached the voicemail of Ally Dawson. I'd say that's enough social interaction for one day. Hang up and text me. Bye!_

I groaned in frustration and resist the urge to slam my phone down on the table. But, breaking phones wasn't going to solve any problems, and it would only take away the anger temporarily. Fortunately for me, my phone rings and I eagerly answer, not even bothering to check the caller i.d. first. Why would I need to? I had figured she'd had enough of arguing and had finally come to her senses. However, I was, once again, dead wrong.

"Hello?" I ask, trying to keep my cool, my nerves soaring a little. I didn't like when women were angry at me. It made me feel like walking on eggshells, trying not to make them bite my head off. Women were some scary, scary creatures that I didn't really enjoy pissing off.

"Hey, Austin, are you ready to come off of your vacation just a little bit early?" Dez asks, sounding a little excited.

"Uh, why would I possibly want to do that? I am enjoying my time off. I am not fully recovered yet."

"Well, that's too bad, mate. Our manager has already booked us to perform at Madison Square Gardens on Saturday, and we're going to be playing with some real legends. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, start packing up, and I'll meet you there in 30."

He hangs up, but I barely pay attention. A slow grin appears across my face, and I actually want to hug someone. Suddenly, I have a truly impenetrable and solid plan. Ally Dawson, prepare to be swept off your feet.


	9. Broken Wings

I had to hand it to Trish. If there were any extreme positives about my best friend, it was that the girl could show patience when she really wanted to. Often enough she came off as selfish and lazy; Those were two adjectives I would use to describe her, and I felt that she wouldn't be offended in the least if I ever told her that.

But, she had put up with me like a champ. I knew I was probably about as much fun as a bowl of oatmeal. I did nothing but continuously mope around and feel sorry for myself. More than once I had broken something due to my unpredictable temper.

I was jumping from hot to cold faster than Sharkeisha's fist, and it was unhealthy. My mom and dad were more than a little worried about their little girl. Even Jared was puzzled. Our relationship had slightly improved, or maybe he just felt sorry for me. Either way, he wasn't trying to fry me into bacon every time his gaze landed on me, so I figured I had won the lottery.

Today marked day four of me not leaving my room. My original plan had been to simply mope around some more, or play Clue. Either way, I didn't actually have to do anything, so I was just fine with either activity.

My mom, however, had other ideas on how Allison Dawson should be spending her day, and I can assure you that spending the day in my bed wasn't on the agenda in any way, shape, or form.

Right now I was at the shopping mall with my mother and Trish as they relentlessly forced and manhandled me to try on dresses and skirts and shoes. Basically I was their bitch and Barbie doll.

Oh sure, I'd begged, pleaded, kicked, screamed, murdered someone… I'd done everything I could think of to convince my mother that I was fine, really. But, she was madly convinced that I was severely depressed and that I was going to off myself in the middle of the morning.

I failed to see how a shopping trip was going to improve my mood. My mom should've known by now, about 18 years to be exact, that Ally Dawson hates shopping. I'm rubbish at fashion, and there's also the trifling fact that I can't stand fashion.

I don't see the point of "pink is the new black this season." It's all bollocks. I was hopeless when it came to matching items together. I figured I'd done a splendid job if my clothing didn't leave me with the appearance that a rainbow threw up on me.

Plus, there was nothing in the mall that succumbed to my interests. I mean, I was told there was a music store around here somewhere, but that was about it. I didn't care about Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, or any of the other stupid brands of clothing people insisted on spending money on.

Personally I felt that if I was going to wear a t-shirt with HOLLISTER written across my boobs, they could at least pay me to wear their rubbish clothing. I mean, I wasn't going to sell my body or give them free publicity if their clothes were lousy and overpriced. And the smell. Dont' even get me started on the smell.

With all the perfume they sprayed in every store I'd ever been in, I'd finally came to a very plausible conclusion. Someone had died in Hollister from an unknown cause, and to cover up the scent, they just poured perfume on all the rugs.

"Ooh, look honey! Isn't this cute?" My mom asks, holding up a lace crop top. For Godrick's sake. Most mothers told their children to cover up. And then there was my mother, who was clearly trying her best to push me in the direction of prostitution. I was almost certain of it.

My day was absolutely splendid! No, really, I'm not being sarcastic at all! I love shopping with my mom, and I really love running into moronic people in the mall that I hate. Oh, you could tell I was drenching my thoughts in sarcasm too? Shit, maybe I really was doing my touch.

It had been five days since the concert, and I was not even one step closer to really analyzing my feelings. I was the pro at pushing things off that I didn't want to do until the last minute. I swear, I could have 40 years to do my homework, and I still wouldn't do it until the night before.

It was both a defense mechanism, and just the fact that I was a lazy person in general that made those pesky feelings harbor towards the bottom of my priority list. I'd been hurt by people before, many times. It was why I was so snarky now, and why I hated just about anyone who breathed.

So, was I confused? Hell yes, I was more confuzzled than a Chameleon in a bag of Skittles. Did I intend on actually looking into my feelings on all of this? Nope, not really. I figured that it was better to see Austin's true colors now than forty years down the line, or whatever might've happened.

I knew I was being just a tad on the diva side of things, but I figured it was my time to go all Britney Spears, minus shaving my head maybe. If I wanted to go crazy, I would. And if I wanted to sit, and be both angry and baffled by Austin fucking Moon, that was my American right.

All I knew, as I curled up in bed that night and watched Vampire Diaries that night, was Ian Somerhalder was the meaning of life itself, and that I envied his character's ability to be an absolute dick and turn his feelings off. Why couldn't a vampire whisk me off my feet and give me a wonderful chance?

Then again, I did know Austin, and he was a bit of a leech himself. Maybe I'd get lucky and he'd turn out to be the reincarnation of Dracula or something. But, that required answering his calls and texts, which I firmly had no intention of ever doing. If I answered, that would give him hope, and if there was one thing I wanted drained from Austin (besides his obvious and non-existing soul), was his hope.

I know I was being an outright tosser right now, but I didn't give a damn. Seriously, not one single bother was given on this memorable day in history. I was, whether I liked it or not, a person who enjoyed seeing other people suffer when I felt they deserved it. And to me, no one deserved to feel absolutely miserable than Austin. Gee, I think I was starting to sound just a little bitter.

Another text finds me rolling my eyes and groaning as I am forced to pause Netflix. Why did people even have to exist? Was it too late for another plague? I figured there were enough idiotic and useless people out there. Austin was at the top of that list;

She was fully prepared to ignore the text as usual, if it was in fact from Austin, that was. It wasn't fair to punish anyone else for his mistake. God, the way I was ranting about it, people might think he had cheated on me or killed my cat. Lucky for him, I would never date someone who wears more makeup than me, and I hated cats.

Lucky for me, it appeared Ju- I mean, Austin had finally taken the hint and found himself someone else to torment. I was all for it. It meant just one less annoying, useless moron that I had to deal with. Plus, it was better this way. It's not like things would've worked out, even if I did, by some miracle like him, which, I didn't. The thought of his existence made my skin crawl, and gave me strong desires to Avada Kedavra someone.

Oh wait, now there were two text messages. Goody fucking hip-hip hooray for me. One was from Trish, and the other was from Jupiter. Oh yes, he was once again Jupiter, because he was the stupidest person I had ever met, and he killed people's brain cells whenever he opened his mouth to speak.

**Hey, call me soon. I have something that I think just might get you out of the mourning blues. -T**

**Look, I'm sorry, Ally. I don't know how many more times you want me to apologize before it goes through that thick skull of yours that I. Am. Fucking. Sorry. Please, give me a sign that you're still alive? -Baller**

_And give you the satisfaction of knowing that I was still breathing? Not on your life._

He could apologize all he wanted, but I wasn't budging an inch. Saying sorry and actually meaning sorry were two completely different things, and Austin didn't know the meaning of being genuinely sorry. But he was about to find out.

He just couldn't stand the fact that one female on this entire planet actually had a fucking brain, and an agenda, for that matter. He was butthurt because I was the only estrogen-induced homo sapien it appeared, who actually saw Austin Moon for what he was, and not who he wanted everyone to believe he was. I just felt bad that I was the only one who saw through his facade.

I called Trish back, though. I figured it was the least I could do, since she'd been such a good sport about everything. She had dealt with my crazy and unusual mood swings.

"Hey Alls. I was wondering how you're feeling."

"I don't know, Trish. I'm still pretty pissed off, and that makes me feel a little confused. But, I'm ok otherwise, I suppose."

"Well, I think I know just the thing to perk you right up." Trish says, her voice indicating me to one of her crazy schemes in the making.

"I don't know Trish, I just kind of want to be alone right now."

"Too bad. Your mom has already been alerted to the plan, and she thinks it's a wonderful idea. Her exact words were 'I think this could be just what she needs', if I recall correctly."

"I don't suppose you're going to alert me to this amazing plan?"

"Of course not. I never spoil a surprise."

"Oh really? Because I recall someone ruining my second grade birthday party by telling me what gifts I had gotten before I even got a chance to open the damn presents. Or there was the time that we found out Kara McDowell had a crush on Todd Hill, and you just had to tell Todd before Kara could. Or-"

Trish huffs and cuts me off before I can dig up any more dirt. "Ok, ok, I get it Ally. Jesus, there is no reason to be such a spoil sport. So, I might've had a few... Slip ups in the past. This however, is a secret that I can't tell you. It would ruin the surprise. Now, pack for about three days, and I'll be there in an hour. Make sure you're ready."

"Three days? But-"

"No buts, Ally. Trust me, it's all going to be worth it in the end. See you soon. Love you!" And she hangs up the phone before I can even process her last sentence. I feel a little uneasy, knowing that for once, everything is out of my hands. I was also completely shell shocked that my mom went along with Trish's plans. My mom loved Trish and everything, but she did agree that some of Trish's "brilliant ideas" were beyond crazy and quite frequently, unsafe.

Well, it looked like there was no way I was going to weasel out of this one. With an exaggerated sigh, I begin the process of packing, all the while wondering what Trish has in store for us. _Maybe it's a road trip_. That thought actually does little to calm my nerves. There were so many things that could go wrong with a road trip. Especially when Trish was the party planner.

For all I knew, we could be going to some secret party, or pick up drug dealers that are federally wanted... I wasn't usual too paranoid about things like this; But, with my feelings swirling around like a typhoon, and I was imagining every possible worst case scenario to ever hit man kind, and then some. It was official.. I already hated this trip, and I hadn't even left my room yet.


	10. Blitzkrieg Bop

pack·ing

**\'pakiNG/**

_noun_

The action or process of packing something; _"The handling, packing, and shipping of products."_

That was the Webster Dictionary's definition of "packing." What was Ally Dawson's definition then? I defined packing as "A huge pain in my ass, and a waste of time, since I never bothered to unpack everything I packed." On top of all that, I always managed to turn my room into a disaster zone while I was in the process of packing.

I cast a glance around my room, and shuddered in horror. I didn't know how my room got messy so quickly. Five minutes ago... Actually, forget that, thirty minutes ago, my room had been pretty decent looking. I wasn't going to delude anyone into believing that my room was hospital clean, but it was sanitary, at least.

But this? This was just plain disastrous. There were clothes strewn there and yonder. They were _everywhere_. Hell, I'd forgotten I even had so many clothes, since I was constantly complaining about "never having anything to wear." I was a damn liar apparently, because I could open a boutique with all the clothes I owned.

I was now in the process of trying to find my favorite pair of socks. Yes, you read that correctly, _socks_. I had a favorite item for every category of clothing I owned; Pants, shoes, socks, shirts, under garments... I even had a favorite hair tie. Maybe Ally Dawson needed friends. Yes, friends might be beneficial. I was digging through my drawer, and I was tinting with anger and annoyance._  
_

_I didn't want to be home, I didn't want to go anywhere. I wanted to be alone, I wanted condolence. I wanted to talk to Austin Moon, I cursed the bastard to the furthest depths of Tartarus. _I was the moving version of contradictions. I was a peachy person. My most recent irk was the fact that my pikachu socks were not showing up anywhere in the drawer. Did I mention they were my favorite socks? But, they weren't in the drawer, or on the floor, or even under the bed.

I think it was those damn sock goblins again. I'm not even joking. Those bastards always snuck into my room at night and made my jeans tighter than they were the night before, and stole all my non-hobo looking pairs of socks. Seriously, it was worse than the first day of school for me, and usually the after-effects on my room on the first day of school made the Great Galveston Hurricane mild in comparison.

Ok, so maybe I _was_ being just a tad bit over-dramatic. Come to think of it, I've always been a slight drama queen. My father had always told me I was his little diva, and I didn't think there was a finer adjective that could be concocted to describe little ole' me. More or less, I was not as extreme as some people, but I had my fair share of over-the-top moments. I was certainly more dramatic than Trish, by a long shot.

If something like this happened to Trish, she would've simply pushed it off and moved on. Hell, she would be laughing because she met a celebrity. Trish was the one who actually was good at dealing with things and taking things in stride. I was the exact opposite of things.

**How Ally Dawson Deals with Emotions:**

**-Never talk about them.**

**-Barely acknowledge them.**

**-Hope they go away.**

**-I really don't, basically.**

That was the Ally Dawson method to dealing with feelings, thoughts, and anything else that caused me a lot of grief. It was almost fool proof, it was simple, and it had always been a natural occurrence. I was simply a person who did **not **like dealing with petty things, and I viewed emotions as the pettiest object of all. But, on top of that, it was a way to seal my pride.

As I have said before, I am not a people person. I don't trust homo sapiens, I don't like them, and I don't want to be among them. God, now I sound like a comic geek or something. I was guarded, and the wall I had successfully built up over the years was created to protect myself from the people that surrounded me. I viewed emotions as a weakness, and with my view on almost everyfuckingbody on the planet being shady, it was not a good mix.

I believed that if I shared my emotions, that I was letting people in. And once I showed them emotion, I was admitting weakness. From personal experience, I had found that some people are like leeches. They try to latch on to you, and all they want is your blood, and to see you fall. If I admitted weakness, they would find a way to use it against me, because naturally there are people who just want to watch you fall and spit in your face. I was too prideful to admit defeat that way.

I knew the best way to deal with the Austin drama was to try and ignore any feelings or thoughts that intruded their way into my head. But sometimes that was easier said than done. I hated it. I hated him, because for once, my method wasn't working. For once, I had a permanent pest occupying my thoughts. It pissed me the fuck off.

God, the way I thought about him, people might get the wrong idea. It wasn't that I liked Austin, per say. I mean, I wasn't totally opposed to the idea of having feelings for him. Or, at least, I hadn't been. Now, I was guilt ridden, and fed up. I had no right to be so mad, because in a way, his logic made sense. But, instead of making me feel the urge to apologize, I had the urge to run south.

If I was famous, I reckon I'd want my friends to be real too, and so I'd hide my real identity from strangers if the chance arose. Yes, I was being stupid. Was I going to apologize? Fuck no. I was a stubborn person by nature, and I was even more competitive. I also tended to be a sore loser, and it really pissed me off that Austin had been right. The competitive part of me wanted to fight, and the jackass part of me just didn't want to admit that Austin wasn't really as big of a prat as I thought.

If I could make a list for all the reasons I hated Austin, I think that the fact that he had attempted to break down my walls and I had almost let him was at the top.

* * *

An hour finally approaches, and Trish arrives, much to my dismay, right on the dot. I wasn't sure if I liked her being prompt so frequently now. It worried me a little bit, to be honest. I had known Trish since we were practically in the womb. Hell, our moms had been best friends in high school themselves, so our fates were practically intertwined the moment we were conceived.

And in the entire time I had been friends with Trish, she was rarely ever on time, for anything. She had the biggest tardy record on file that I had ever seen, and once, she was even two hours late to her _own_ birthday party. This being prompt and actually taking responsibility was making me believe that an alien abduction was quite possible.

But, some habits apparently never changed, because she barged into my room, once again. She'd been doing that since we were about 4, and I didn't think it was subject to change anytime soon. Still, there was always hope. I mean, why couldn't she change **that **habit? She knew I hated when people entered my room without knocking. She also knew I wouldn't do jackshit about it, because she was my best friend, and I was so used to it happening. I think she was getting just a little _too _comfortable with our friendship.

"Ready, Freddy?" she asks cheerfully, flopping down in the small amount of space that was free on the bed.

"'Ready Freddy', really? What is this, third grade?"

"Damn Ally, who shoved a tampon up your ass this morning?"

I clench my teeth and remind myself that Trish is just trying to help, and that by being a conniving bitch, I wasn't going to earn any points with her. I was being unfair by taking all my anger out on her when she was really just trying to cheer me up. I was a shitty friend, that much was obvious.

"I'm sorry, Trish. Yes, I'll be ready, right after I say bye to the family." I say, as I lug my duffle bag over my shoulder and sway towards the door. The duffle bag isn't too heavy, it's just all the shit on the floor that's making my balance sway and my coordination slightly off. Well, that, and the fact that I had always been just a little clumsy.

* * *

I'll spare you the details of saying goodbye to my family, because it's not terribly eventful, or emotional, or relative to anything. Mom cried, Dad warned me to behave myself, and Jared just waggled his eyebrows suggestively. I flipped him off. Mom hadn't been too pleased about that. Oh well.

Trish has decided to drive, which makes this terrible trip 500% more terrible. Trish's driving skills are shit, and I had never been afraid of anything reckless, until I got into a car with Patricia Maria De la Rosa. She had a frighteningly short attention-span, little patience for other driver's, and a consistent reckless regard for traffic rules. I had a feeling it was safer to be locked in a room with a starving cheetah, than within a 50 mile radius of Trish driving.

The saying that "women were bad drivers" definitely applied to Trish. That girl was a freaking crazy bitch when it came to anything involving operating a moving automobile. To prove my example, Trish runs a stop sign and nearly breaks some porcelain lawn ornaments that are nearby. "I swear to god Trish, how you ever managed to get your license completely baffles me."

She gives me a dirty look, before the light turns red and she slams on the breaks, nearly sliding us into another car, and the cross walk. "Jesus! You clearly got your license from a McDonald's Happy Meal!" I exclaim in exasperation and mild fear. If there was one way I didn't want to die, it was in a car with Trish. She was quite possibly the worst driver I had ever seen in my entire 18 years of existing on planet Earth."

"You know, you could be just a little more gracious that I am treating you to three days of sheer paradise before school begins again. I'd say you should be treating me like a goddess at this point."

"But I didn't want to go on this trip in the first place!" I argue, praying that wherever we are mobbing off to, it is nearby. I don't think I can last any longer than ten minutes maximum with Trish as my driver.

"True, but someday you're going to thank me for this experience. Trust me Ally, we're going to be doing something incredibly unforgettable, and we're going to yank you headfirst out of depression by the hair if that's what it takes to cure you."

"But, I'm not depressed. I'm a little gloomy because of the weather, I reckon. But, I'm always slightly moody, so I guess it's to be expected. Really Trish, I'm going to be just fine."

"Too right you are, because I am going to assure it happens. You can try to make this vacation as sucky as possible, but, I will never forgive you if you ruin this trip for me. I really think you're going to have a jolly good time if you'd just stop being such a pessimist. Suck it up, cupcake." Trish says, as she suddenly veers to the left, and several cars honk in aggravation. I let out a tiny breath as I realize we're approaching an airport.

There is only one thing that is more dangerous than being in a car with Trish, and that's flying in a plane with her. Sure, we'd have a hopefully trusted pilot who would guide us to some unknown destination. It was the unknown part that I was more worried about. For all I knew, she was whisking me off to Las Vegas to try my luck in some scummy casino.

"Trish, we're not going out of the country, are we?" I ask a little warily as she searches for a spot to park in the parking lot. Goody goody gumdrops, I'd be on land again rather quickly.

She snorts. "Yes, Ally. We're definitely going out of the country for three days, because tickets to any foreign destination couldn't possibly cost more than an arm and leg. I mean, I'm just drenched in money, and I thought 'hey, why not get a job for money, since I'm dripping in money already anyway.' And your parents agreed for me to drag you to Africa without adult supervision."

"I'm 18."

"So? You're still staying with your parents for the summer, and we both know how tightly they hold the reins."

I sigh, and we successfully exit the vehicle without dying in the process. We grab our luggage and head into the airport, with Trish walking as though she'd just won the lottery. What in the actual fuck was she so happy about anyway? It was like we were sauntering off to Disneyland. I wouldn't put that past her. She was a sneaky wench, and for all I knew, that was where we were heading. At least, I hoped it was something like that. I didn't really want to go anywhere sketchy for my forced vacation.

"Uh, Trish, we have a problem."

"Yes Ally?" Trish asks, continuing to walk in springy, joyous steps.

"I don't have a ticket, or money to buy one."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I already have gotten everything taken care of."

"That's what I was afraid of." I mutter under my breath as we walk towards the lobby.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, I find myself on a flight, but I still have no idea where we're heading off to. Trish had refused to tell me a single damn thing about our plans, except that they were going to "knock my socks off, and finally earn Trish the best friend award that was so rightfully hers." Bloody hell, what was it with me and associating with narcissistic tossers? Jared, Trish, Austin... I just had an apparent radar that led me towards people that carried characteristics I despised.

Trish sat next to me with her ear buds in, bobbing her head along to her music. It just figures that the traitor would be keeping as quiet about this as she was. She was worried about slipping up about something, and I was starting to go crazy with curiosity.

The expression had always been "Curiousity killed the cat", but I figured I was more of a dog person anyway. I was going to keep pondering different scenarios until everything unfolded, for better or for worse. I was an impatient person by nature, and I could already tell this was going to be three absolute days in hell. Whatever scheme Trish had planned out was going to kill me, one way, or another.

I stared out the window, watching as the clouds fluttered by in slow, lazy formations. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and if these were under any other circumstances, I would be relishing in the breathtaking views I was witnessing before me. But, this wasn't one of those times.

I'm a very consistent and routine oriented person. Jared had always joked that I "Could never maintain a normal life, or even function without a set schedule." The sad thing was, it was entirely true. As much as I hated to admit it, I was a complete control freak, and the fact that I was most definitely not in control right now was starting to eat me from the inside out. And for fuck's sakes, it hadn't even been an hour yet.

Once things became consistent, and I found a routine to stick to, I preferred to follow it thoroughly. I became uneasy once anything appeared subject to change. I hated surprises of any shape or form. My least favorite were the ones that struck me right in the face, giving me very little time to analyze things, or prepare for the inevitable.

All I knew was that whatever happened was going to change things. I had hoped for a relaxing vacation, but I had a sinking suspicion that something big was heading my way, and I was about to be thrown into the middle of a shitstorm. I felt a sense of dread and resentment at this. Trish glances over at me, before giving me a sincere and apologetic smile, and squeezing my hand once.

I resist the urge to backhand her across the face. As I've mentioned before, I am not a person who enjoys affection, especially not by touching. I **hated **people touching me, and that included everyone I associated with. It wasn't as bad with certain people, but for the most part, touching me was taking out a gamble on your own safety.**  
**

I send Trish a scowl, and she waggles a finger at me. "Try to lighten up, Alls. I know things aren't really going exactly how you planned, and you've been tossed into my sporadic plans, but it's going to be fun. If there is one thing I can guarantee, it's that you're going to have a blast. I am the life of the party, and you're going to love me forever for this."

"I hope you're right. Otherwise, I've already planned the perfect place in which to hide your body. Tumblr has taught me how to make a death look like an accident, and you're no exception. I'd watch your back, Patricia Maria De La Rosa. I might decide to come out and get you."

"Oh my god. You're so morbid. Why am I even friends with you? You're clearly batshit crazy! Anyway, chill your balls and watch a movie or something. I'll be back, I have to piss like a racehorse."

She abruptly leaves her seat, and I sink lower down in mine. In the seats directly behind me, I can hear two girls obsessing about some article they're reading in J-14 Magazine. God, I hated those magazines. They spewed bullshit by the ton, and I was firmly and severely allergic to bullshit. Those magazines always looked so silly; They looked as though some 8 year old had created the images on the front page using Microsoft Paint. And the stories were always about stupid things, like Harry Style's favorite scent of cologne.

If this was what I had to look forward to, you could safely count me out. I firmly disapproved the next generation. They listened to music that was complete and utter rubbish, they cared about petty things like hair and boyfriends, and they hid behind their "swag" and terrible English skills. I swear to God, at least 95% of the people on the internet were tedious morons who enjoyed trolling and typing in an impeccable and infertile fashion. America's official language was 3rd grade English.

"Austin is so freaking cute! I think him and I would be the perfect match. I mean, we share so many qualities, and interests. And sure, we don't really listen to a lot of the same music, but I'm sure I could get into the beatles, or the Raymonds. I like that one song, 'I Can't Get No Satisfaction'. I mean, Joey Raymond is so freaking cool!" One voice gushes, before I hear the noises of someone turning the page.

"Yeah! I mean, he's dreamy, and gorgeous, and perfect. I already have our wedding planned out." A second voice swoons, earning an annoyed huff from her friend.

For Christ's sake, girls needed to learn that not every man in the world was available, and that they weren't all God's gift to the universe. The likelihood of a peasant marrying royalty was nearly impossible. Plus, they couldn't all have the same guy. Polygamy was still frowned upon, I believe. But then again, so were gay rights, which was also complete rubbish.

"Yeah, I agree. Someday, I'm going to be Mrs. Talia Monica Moon. Who the hell is 'Ally Dawson' anyway? I mean, she had to be sort of important if Austin called out for her at his concert in Miami, Florida. She's such a bitch. I mean, who in their right mind would ever reject Austin Moon? She's probably some useless whore who just wanted to gain her 15 minutes of fame in the most despicable and pathetic way possible. Austin doesn't need hoes clinging to his side. He probably just felt bad for her, you know. I mean, what an unfortunate name she possess. She's probably as unfortunate looking as her name."

I clench my jaw, and I dig my nails into my skin until I can feel blood begin to drip. Yup, it was official, Ally Dawson had dived right off the fucking deep end. They had the audacity to sit here and fucking talk shit about me? I was used to girls like this. My name must've tasted good, because it was always in someone else's mouth. Oh yeah, I was going to make these girls think twice before they assumed such shallow things about a person.

A hoe? I wasn't a virgin by any means, but I had only had sex with _one _guy, who I had been dating for close to two years. If that made me a whore, I shuddered to think what the rest of the female gender was considered. I was, unfortunately, someone who didn't care too much what people thought about me. But, that didn't mean I enjoyed hearing my name said by complete strangers who had no right to judge me.

That does it. I will not stand for girls attempting to use their shallow deception to make a mockery of the female population. Girls like them were the reason women didn't get any respect. I would not stand for being objectified by girls who had possibly seven brain cells combined, at maximum. Gee, I was sure being a judgmental bitch today. Go Ally, it's going to be a splendid evening.

"I think you two twats need to shut up, because you're certainly crossing the line there. Do you know the girl? No? I didn't think so either. Talking shit about people is the lowest you can sink, if you guys can even sink any lower than the scum you already are. First off, Austin moon is a complete wanker, and the sooner you realize how unintelligent and annoying you sound, the better. Life isn't as easy as trying to claim a human being. They're not _objects,_ they're _people._ Maybe once you realize that the likelihood that you would actually ever attract the attention of a celebrity is never going to happen. Second, music is not for fake people. Don't tell someone you like a band if you don't. Unless you want Barbie to be jealous of how fake you are. Then, by all means, go for it. And third, The Raymonds? Please tell me you're not actually so moronic and oblivious that you can't even say the bloody name correctly? It's the **Ramones**. And the lead singer's name is Joey **Ramone**, not Raymond, you uncultured little shit. And I Can't Get No Satisfaction isn't even written or performed by the Ramones! It's by the Rolling fucking Stones. God, girls like you are the reason I seriously wish people would stop breeding."

The two girls, who I have now noted look about 14 at maximum, are completely flabbergasted. I've never seen someone rendered so completely speechless before. They both wear bubblegum t-shirts with Austin's hideous face in the center, outlined in a heart shape. God, could their merchandise be any worse? The world was really going to shit.

The one directly behind me has long blonde hair pulled delicately into a braid that wrapped around her head, and looked like something slightly more romantic. Too bad I already thought she was one ugly bitch. Her pale pink lips were pressed into a unamused and infuriated scowl. Her cloudy grey eyes were boring into mine, her posture very tense. She was preparing for a fight, and from the spark in her eye, I could tell she wasn't going to give up. Perfect. I actually loved people who could argue with me. I could argue for hours on end without losing motivation or interest.

The second girl's looks contrasted to her friend's. This girl had more exotic features. For being about 14, she was already blossoming with hidden beauty. This girl was destined to be a model. It's too bad her taste in music was complete shit. She had almond shaped, coffee brown eyes, and dark, roasted bean hair. She was tanned, but not ridiculously so. Who knows, maybe this little lech actually had a shot at snagging the heart of a dickcactus like Austin.

"Well, are you going to counter my argument? Or are you both going to sit there with your mouths down at your feet, giving full entrance to flies?"

"What's your fucking problem? You don't even know us, and yet, you're sitting here, bashing on us. We weren't talking to you, so how about you butt out, you masochistic bitch." The blonde one snarls, her eyes narrowing to practical slits. Ooh, intimidating. I was absolutely quaking in my boots at this macho 12 year old who clearly thought she was a bad bitch.

Well, here was Dr. Ally here to drag her out of that dream. I had been itching for a fight; I needed to yell at someone, and these two witless morons were the perfect candidates. I didn't care too much that they were technically idiots. They had made all women look like trash, and I wasn't going to hold back.

"I don't need to know you. I know your type. You're the type to do whatever it takes to get what you want, no matter what it costs or whose life you have to tarnish before you succeed. You set your sights on unrealistic fantasies that could never happen, even if there was really such thing as miracles. You really think that by becoming an attention seeking whore and clinging to someone as shallow as Austin Moon, your life is going to become this magical fairytale? It's time for you to enter the world of reality. In reality, guys don't go for girls with personalities like yours."

Her face turns dark at that, her face reddening in anger. This girl was fun to rile up. I give her a sarcastic clap to further my point."I'm impressed. I had begun thinking that your shitty music had fried your brain. I'm glad to know you can at least say one big girl word. Second, do you realize that because you're talking shit about someone you don't even _know_, you're showing obvious signs of insecurity. It's pretty sad, actually. I pity you. Well, I guess we can's save them all. Maybe you should get to know someone before you ride on your unorthodox assumptions that someone is a whore or useless, or anything like that."

I'm about to continue my rant when Trish flops back into her seat, her eyes leaving no doubt in my mind that she heard everything that just went down, and she is **not **happy. I shrug, which makes her clench her jaw and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Allison Dawson, why are you being so rude to two young girls? I don't understand why you feel the need to join in on some stupid conversation over Austin. You're better than that. You're **18**. For fuck's sake, grow up and start acting like it." And with that, she angrily shoves her earbuds back in, glowering at me while she does it. Brilliant job, Ally, absolutely fucking brilliant.

It's officially been an hour, and I've already pissed off three people with little effort. I'd say I was in my A-game, baby. Ally Dawson was on a roll, and I didn't foresee this stopping any time soon. Still, I had been a bitch, so instead of continuing to antagonize and insult the two girls behind me, I listened to my own music, and calmed the uproar that had been ready to explode inside of me.


	11. Highway to Hell

_Hey guys! I'm sure these Author's notes are going to become a frequent thing, and I will probably annoy the living piss out of you guys with these. But, I have so much I need to say, and I think you all deserve to hear it. I'd like to thank everyone for all the love they've shown my story, and for leaving me bloody amazing and perfect comments and pm's._

_You guys are seriously the most amazing people on the entire face of this planet, and I can't thank you enough for being so patient while I've gotten the hang of this writing thing, and for putting up with my lack of consistency in updating and Ally's unexplained and irrational mood swings.. There are so many more things to say, if I could ever think of a more efficient way to write them all down. But, there are a million thoughts swarming my concentration right now._

_When I began writing, I didn't really think this story was going to get anywhere. I figured, there are writers out there who have a million times the talent I'll ever have. Who's ever going to want to read my rubbish stories? But, imagine my astonishment when people actually began reading it, and leaving me so much positive feedback._

_I want to thank every one of you for being here, with me. There are a few people in particular that I would really love to shower in compliments right now._

**_sweetlovegirl101: "This story is so interesting and exciting. One part was so funny i fell of my couch laughing lol so excited to read more!"_**

_You are the definition of amazing. Your comment made me smile so much. I was grinning like a sodding idiot, and my grandpa was wondering why I was smiling like I was on drugs or something. I was having sort of a crap day, but your comment made me feel so honored, and made me feel like maybe my humor isn't quite as dry as sandpaper.  
_

**_ Sweets: "Ohhhhh, Ally D fucking wooped you ass, bitches!  
Seriously tho, i HATE it when girls are like that. Too bad there are too many of them. *sigh* So this chapter was cool. Ally got dragged into a plane by Trish, SLAYED some bimbo's (still so proud *wipes tear*) Aaand is off to an trip where she has no freakin' clue is gonna be.  
I'd say Trish works with Austin. There's definitely gotta be a good reason why you'd put this trip in the story. Especially with chapter 9, where Austin was oh so determined to woo her over.  
Well, can't wait! :D x"_**

_Haha, oh my. I was laughing at your comment, and I love your spunk. I was so grateful that I wasn't the only one who enjoyed the scene where Ally rip's into their assholes. That was one of my favorite chapters to write. I really adore the feedback, and I love your observations. All is about to be revealed! Xx._

_Bolero127: **"Yay! I want to just gobble this story up all at once, but I know the hard work that goes into writing each chapter. Anyone who doesn't understand has never tried to write. Thanks for another awesome chapter!"**_

_Thank you so much dude! I love that you didn't demand a new chapter from me! (Not that I mind when people do that, in the least. In fact, it makes me squeal with joy when people want an update very quickly. I love you all!) And you're very welcome. It's because of everyone who puts up with me that I am inspired to do something like this. And, I love our conversations! You are a very insightful person, and I love hearing your opinions. Thank you for acknowledging that I exist, and having even a small desire to actually have conversations with me._

_I want to thank everyone who has ever commented, f__ollowed the story, or even just _skimmed my story. If I had the room, I would thank every single last one of you down to the last person in a long letter. (But, I don't have the room for that, and you guys don't have that kind of patience!) **If you are following me, and I have not followed you back, please just let me know in a pm, and I will fix that problem immediately!**

_For a while, I doubted my dedication for this story, or that I'd ever find the words or motivation to follow through with the story. At one point, I really considered giving up, and moving on to another idea. But, you guys are the reason that I continued. Through all your opinions and adornment over one story, I found the courage to trust myself as a writer, and to venture where I have never really explored. There is no way to express my gratitude for you! There are literally not even enough words in the entire human language to express how grateful I am to have each and everyone of you putting up with my writing._

_Well, there is **one **way I can think of it... How does another chapter in Austin's point of view sound? No? Too bad, because I'm giving you a chapter in his perspective whether you want it, or not. I am a ruthless chick, who enjoys nothing more than doing things my way. C; I love every freaking single one of you!_

_Xoxo,_

_Enlightening__ Tale Brethren._

* * *

**Austin's POV:**

I checked the clock, drumming my hands against the arm of my couch in boredom. In about 15 minutes the rest of my bandmates were coming over to hang out, and for us to have a band meeting. I felt like I hadn't seen them in a while, and a night full of mischief and tomfoolery was just what I needed to get out of the slumps.

I was under a lot of pressure right now, and it was starting to piss me off. Ever since I had mentioned Ally Dawson at my concert, the press had been going berzerk. I hadn't considered the consequences when I did it, and now I was paying the price. I couldn't take a piss without someone questioning me about the mysterious girl I had named.

No one could figure out who she was, exactly, and I was grateful for that. All I needed was for someone to dig deeper into things and begin hassling her too. I was used to this, she most certainly wouldn't be. I hear my name mentioned, and as if coming out of a trance, I fix my attention on the television.

"Good evening. I'm Amber Sailor, and I am here to bring you the latest gossip that has been swarming Hollywood lately. Austin Moon and his mystery girl. During a concert in Miami, Austin dedicated a song to someone named Ally Dawson. Specifically, a Beatles song, which implies he really like this girl. He insisted this girl was obsessed with them. So, what Hollywood and the rest of the world want to know is, who exactly is Ally Dawson? A dedicated fan? Possible lover? Is the world about to be heartbroken now that the teenage sensation may possibly have a girlfriend? I don't know about you, but I am dying to know who this strange woman is, and what her relationship with Austin Moon is. Stay tuned, Hollywood, because this is going to be a head turner. Things are about to get interesting. Stay tuned, as we dive deeper into the rivalry between The Great Escape and One Direction. Tom has all the latest feud updates."

I roll my eyes in annoyance. It just figured the paparazzi was obsessing and over-analyzing things, once again. Ally and I weren't even friends, much less potential lovers. I hated all the attention I was receiving from everyone who had any way to get on the internet. I was already at the end of the rope with all the questions and demands I had been receiving.

My fans were desperately tweeting me, begging me to tell them who Ally was. Actually, scratch that; They were **demanding **I tell them. I loved my fans, but sometimes they went just a little overboard, and became a slight nuisance. Still, they were the only reason I was pursuing my dreams, and that I had even a fraction of the fame I had achieved. Without them, I'd be nothing.

My phone chimes, and I glance down at it, noting the unfamiliar number underneath the message. I always got a little worried when unknown numbers contacted me. I didn't like the possibility of anyone getting my personal number. Weird things tended to happen in situations like that, and I wasn't really in the mood to try it out for myself.

I open the text message and sigh in relief when I realize it's just Trish. Trish is Ally's best friend, and the only reason that this plan is going to be even half as successful as I hoped it was. She had helped set the entire thing up, and I was hoping that my cards were looking good.

**We've settled in at our hotel, which is freaking sweet, by the way! You have good taste, Austin. But, we might have a _slight _problem... Ally just saw that episode of Hollywood Unloaded, and she's _livid _about it. I hope everything will go as we planned. -T**

I groaned, again. It just figures that something was bound to happen, but I figured that it would've happened later, and not 4 hours into the plan. Why was the universe so against me? It was stupid. If Amber Sailor ruined my chance at winning Ally over, I was going to find a way to end her breathing. Ok, ok, maybe not quite that extreme, but I'd get revenge.

There is a knock at my door, and I sigh in relief. The band is here, which means that I can just chill out and be at easy. "Come in!" I yell, propping myself up into a more casual position, and relaxing my already tensing muscles. I wasn't going to fool anyone if I looked annoyed. The door bursts open, and in walks my five brothers. Ok, not literally. But, they were practically my family, since we spent so much time together.

First, there was Rixion Elizabeth Violet, who was our lead guitarist. Despite her delicate sounding name, Rixion was the complete opposite. Rixion was a party girl who was known for being crazy wild and for being notorious at entertaining parties. She was popular both for her fire, and because she kicked ass at guitar. Rixion was one of the most talented musicians I had ever heard, and she would kick anyone's ass if they told her otherwise.

Rixion was definitely a feminist, and she would yank off the genitals of any man who dared try to tell her that she sucked because she was a girl. Rixion **hated **when people took it easy on her just because she had a vagina. Sometimes people thought that Rixion and I were in a relationship, but that thought kind of sickened me. We'd thought about dating, certainly. But, we were too close, and after one drunken kiss, we decided that we felt more like siblings than anything. End of that relationship.

Rixion was definitely hot, there was no denying that. I mean, I didn't lust after her or anything, but I could understand part of the reason our band was so popular. She had long, jet black hair that was frequently being streaked with wild colors. She was a tall girl, standing at about 5'9. She had long legs, and a permanent slight tan due to her italian heritage. She had one blue eye and one violet eye. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. She had a decent rack, and she had a really sweet tattoo that began at the base of her spine and ended at the very end of her fingers. It was two dragons, one black, and one white that wrapped around each other and ended at the end of her right middle finger. It was a fine piece of art.

Our drummer was Jace Armon "Casanova" Langdon. Jace was the most sought out member of the group, right under me. He had shaggy blonde hair, which he was constantly flipping out of his eyes. I didn't understand why he didn't just chop the damn locks off. But, he was stubborn, and that's why we were constantly butting heads. But, we were like brothers, so I kept him around. He had amber eyes, which was an interesting contrast to his practically snow tinted hair. His hair was _white_. Jace was the most mischievous, and was ultimately known for his pranks. He was a hilarious guy, but sometimes he forgot that some people actually have _feelings_.

Some women said that it gave him the appearance of a vampire, which he gladly took to heart. He had has hair cut into an extremely shaggy and choppy mess. He was naturally pale, and he deeply enjoyed dressing in black shirts, and tight pants. He had his left ear pierced, as well as snake bites, which most of our fans were attracted too, for some strange reason. But, I had to admit, If I wasn't straight, even I'd do him. He was a man with quite the reputation for attracting women, and for almost never going home alone. I was surprised he wasn't crawling in diseases right now. But, luckily for him, he wasn't a complete ass. He was smarter than people took for granted, and he never ceased to amaze me with his cleverness. He was one man not to be trifled with.

Our bassist was Sid Alexander Wesley. He was the most reserved out of all of us, and easily the most responsible. He was the practical glue that kept us from getting arrested, or sued. And he kicked ass as a bassist. I could never even ask for a better bassist then Sid. Sid was the most shy out of all of us, which made him pretty popular among the opposite sex. They found his timid and shy nature endearing and clung to him like bees to a flower. And he definitely wasn't bad in the looks department. At least, not anymore.

When Sid had first joined the band, he was this lanky, pale, white boy with short brown hair and glasses. He even had braces, and wore nerdy apparel. We had always teased him for his nerdy appearance. But, eventually he got laser eye surgery, his teeth straightened, and we had found him a more... Normal style. He dressed more like an average teenager now, which was just fine by everyone. He had allowed his brown hair to grow out to a decent length, which made him fit the outcast kid perfectly. He had electric blue eyes and a thoughtful and considerate smile. He was a nice guy, and he was absolutely the reason we didn't slit each other's throats. Hey, even family members want to do this sometimes.

Our Rhythm Guitarist was Connor Blake Richardson. Connor was the most... Interesting of the bunch. He came from a really tough past, and yet, he managed to be the strongest person I had ever met. He was a bit moody, and sometimes he was a hassle to deal with, but he was also a really emotional guy. He was a great listener, and he was good at giving advice.

But, he could also be hard to approach, and he was the most disapproving of our... Lifestyle. He had flings occasionally, but it was nowhere close to the rest of us. Even Rixion was known to have the occasional one night stand. He didn't lecture us, but he didn't agree with our careless flings. But, usually, we kept the flings low key anyway, so as long as he didn't hear about it, he didn't necessarily _care_.

And finally, though he wasn't actually _in _the band, was my best friend and brother from another mother, Dez Wade. Dez was our assistant manager, even though he acted more like a friend than a responsible adult. Dez was a child at heart, and we had been best friends for close to 15 years now. I had met him one fateful day in preschool, when I had offered to share my Gushers with him. That's when he became my friend, and followed me around. I hated it at first, but he proved himself to be a loyal and amazing friend. I trusted him with my life, and I loved that he was open-minded about everything. He was easy to talk to, and we even had a bromance going on.

Dez had bright red hair, and we constantly bagged on him because of it. His nickname was "Fire Crotch", and we constantly called him a "soulless ginger." But, Dez took it with great amusement, and he gave as good as he got. Sometimes he had "blonde" moments, but he was a pretty clever guy, and there was more depth to him than some people realized. He had blue eyes, and freckles, which made him appear kind of goofy at times. He also dressed in some pretty crazy clothing, which only added to his reputation as a clown.

He was always smiling, and I admired his carefree outlook on life. He was my light when I was trapped in darkness. He was always there for me when I needed somone to vent to, and he wouldn't tell a soul, because he didn't have one to share. I know, I know, I'm horrible. But, Dez found it funny, and he made fun of me for being a blonde all the time, so I figured it was only fair.

"Hey dude." Dez greets, plopping down next to me while the rest of my mates rummage through my fridge for food. This was normal; I just hoped they didn't clean me out like last time. Sometimes our gatherings could get a little rowdy, and they always cleaned out my kitchen. Literally.

"Hey bro." I greet back, leaning my back against the couch, and finally feeling a little relaxed. Dez looks like he's in a slightly beat up state. He seems a little worried, which was making me feel concerned, because Dez was the most upbeat guy I knew, and it took _a lot _to upset Dez. He was a trooper.

"How are you doing? Any luck in luring in that girl?" He asks, slightly amused. This was one of the reasons I loved Dez. He was good at making things seem like sunshine and rainbows.

"Girl? Ooh! You mean someone has finally caught Austin's fancy? I was starting to wonder when you were going to finally become a man." An amused voice calls from the kitchen as Rixion appears with a beer in hand, and cheetos in the other. She is dressed in pajama shorts and a mickey mouse tank top. On anyone else it would look stupid and childish, but with Rixion, it worked.

She gives me a smug smirk as she plops down next to me, sliding me a beer. I was a party man myself, but I tried not to drink excessively. I was a role model, whether I liked it or not, and I didn't think constantly getting busted for drinking was the way in which to maintain a possitive rep. My rep wasn't squeaky clean, but I did a fairly decent job of staying out of the negative side of news. I took pride in that.

"There's no girl, Rix."

"Oh bullshit Austin. I know something is going on with you. You called out her name at the concert, and I know there had to be a reason for it, because you've never done it before. So, I want details, and I want them now. Otherwise, I will give you the worst 'purple nurple' you've ever seen, and you will regret crossing me. Now, tell me all about this Ally girl."

"Look, I'm telling you, there's nothing going on between us. She doesn't even want to be friends right now. We accidentally swapped phones in Miami when I went to the carnival-"

"Carnival? You mean to tell me you snuck out without inviting me? I am wounded. I really thought we had something special bro." Jace says, feigning a hurt expression. I can tell he's trying not to crack up.

Dez scoots close to me, and slides an arm around me, faking being possessive. "Like hell you do! Austin is _mine_. Understand, you scummy buttsniffer? It is Austez forever, not Jaustin. So, stop trying to steal my man, before I rip out your weave." Dez says, his voice riddled with amusement.

Jace pouts before settling on the other couch, and opening his can of beer. I take a sip of mine just as Connor and Sid emerge from the kitchen, candy crammed in their pockets, and beers. Jeez, where did we manage to get so much beer from? Sometimes I still wasn't used to all the perks that came with being a celebrity.

"So, continue, Austin. You were just about to tell us all about the famous Ally Dawson. Don't be shy now." Rixion teases, knowing full well that because she mentioned it again, the rest of my band is not going to quit harassing me until I fessed up.

"Yeah, Austy, I wanna hear all about this dirty little secret of yours." Sid adds, giving me a lopsided grin.

I sigh, and run a hand through my blonde locks, before glancing up and meeting five sets of staring eyes. God, Rixion had definitely put me on the spot. Stupid brat. "Ok, you guys remember our four day vacation in Miami, right?"

Everyone nods, and their silence makes me even more nervous. Usually, it was impossible to hold a successful meeting with the band, because we all loved hearing the sound of our own voice, and we were always interrupting each other. But for once, everyone is silent, and that makes me want to squirm in my seat, even though I haven't done anything wrong.

"Well, I kind of ignored Kota's order that we stay inside and lay low for the duration of our stay. Well...The night before we left to resume our tour, I kind of snuck out, and I went to the carnival there. It was their last night, and I just wanted to have a few hours of feeling normal. Well, while I was there, I accidentally dropped my phone, and picked up a complete stranger's phone. That stranger's name is Ally Dawson. At first, I called her to find a way to exchange our phones, but she... Captivated me. She was quirky, snarky, and sarcastic. And, she didn't fall for my regular antics, which was making the chase that much more fun. I failed to mention to her when she asked for my name, that I was Austin Moon. She doesn't even like our music, which made her that much more interesting. She found out I omitted information from her, and now she's ignoring my existence."

For several long moments, there is an uncomfortable silence emitting about the room. I'm starting to feel really awkward around people I spend months at a time in close proximity with. I don't want to be having this conversation with anyone, and I'm cursing Rixion's existence until we are all dragged down to hell.

"Right... Well, I suppose that does explain your odd behaviour lately. I was starting to worry that you'd dove straight off the deep end and we were going to have to look for a decent psych ward to ship you off to." Jace says, his gaze fixated on the tv which is, get this, airing **another **story about the 'Mysterious Ally Dawson.' God, I was already 500% done with people, and I was the social one.

"I just hope you don't further make an ass of yourself. You know, the press isn't going to stop stalking and demanding until you tell everyone who Ally is." Rixion says, giving me a hard glance. I can tell that she's a little annoyed with my antics with the press lately, and she wants me to come clean. But the problem is, it's not really my decision to make. It's Ally's choice. I can't force her into my lifestyle, and it's not fair to ruin her life, because that's what will happen.

The press tended to be ruthless, and they liked to build people up to tear them down. I was also concerned that my fans would... Overreact a little bit. We had the most amazing fanbase I could ask for, but they did tend to become a little possessive over the bandmates, and they weren't known for sharing. Most of them were cool, and I couldn't thank them more for all they've done. But, there were also people who were known for sending death threats to people that had just gotten _pictures _taken with the band.

* * *

I was tempted to call Ally and see how she was dealing with all of this, but my gut was telling me that it was not a very wise idea. I had seen Ally when she was angry, and I had a feeling tonight wouldn't be an exception. She was probably planning my murder down to the very last second right now. I knew she was mad at me, but I wasn't going to give up.

But, I didn't want people to get the wrong idea. I liked Ally, but I didn't necessarily _like _her. At least, not like that. I enjoyed flirting with her, and I'd never really went to such extreme measures to make friends, but Ally was worth it. I had less than two handfuls of people that I actually considered real friends. Sure, I was pretty good with most of the royalty in Hollywood, but that didn't mean I trusted them.

Aside from my bandmates, I had a couple other friends, and that was how I preferred it. Some people needed a lot of friends to be happy. I however, was not one of those people. I was the type of guy who would rather have 4 quarters instead of a 1000 pennies. But, Ally seemed like a wise choice. Sure, she was incredibly stubborn, and hypocritical, and she was a pain in the ass. But, she was also the first person outside my band who called things how she saw them, and wasn't caught up in the magic that surrounded my life.

Tomorrow night was when operation Win-Ally's-Friendship launched, and I just hoped she would accept my gesture. I had gone to great lengths with planning this, and if this didn't work, I don't know what would. I didn't want things to end between us on such a rough note. I wanted at least a small shot at redemption. I couldn't really explain what it was about Ally that was so different from everyone else I'd ever met. I was no stranger to pissing people off. In fact, it was a natural born talent of mine.

I think it was because for once, I had met someone who didn't worship me. Even my band members did at times. Now, they didn't let the fame go to my head, by any means. But, there had always been a slight awe about me (Not trying to sound cocky.) I had simply been a popular person since birth. I had always been surrounded by people who adored me, so meeting the odd person who didn't eventually come to like me sort of intrigued me.

She was a chase, and while Austin Moon rarely chased girls, maybe she was worth it. But, just for friendship. I didn't want or need an actual relationship with anyone right now. Both for safety of both parties involved, and because I didn't want to piss off our fans. I had a feeling they'd gradually come to accept it, but sometimes they were the most stubborn of all, and they enjoyed making a big deal out of nothing.

However, I also wasn't going to wait around forever for her. If she didn't forgive me soon, I'd leave her alone, if that was what she wanted. I wasn't going to try to force my way into her life, or change how she thought of me if she was going to be stubborn, which I was almost positive she would be. Ally, from what I had learned over the course of a week, was that she hated admitting when she was wrong, and she was quite possibly the most stubborn person I'd ever met, aside from myself.

* * *

_You hear that, Ally? Austin ain't waiting around for yo ass, so you might want to hop to it. Otherwise, I'm worried this story won't make it very far! __Sorry guys, I was bored, so I decided to write a.. Filler chapter? It's more for the purpose of giving you some insight into Austin's crazy mind, and also, to give you some information on The Great Escape. Like it or not, they are important in the story, give or take. Especially later. I love you all! The next chapter will be better, I promise._

_What say you? Are you guys team Austin, or team Ally?_


	12. Cum on Feel the Noize

The remainder of the plane ride had been highly uneventful. Trish was pissed at me, the girls behind me were pissed at me, and I think I had even managed to tick off a couple of the stewardesses as well. It was just one of the many perks of being in the fabulous lifestyle of Ally Dawson. I had been beyond myself with excitement when we had landed in New York City. I had been wanting to go to the big apple for quite some time.

Trish had seemed to forgive me almost instantly the moment she noticed my excitement and noted that I was no longer in a hostile mood. I still wasn't pleased about being kidnapped against my will. Ok, technically I had complied, but kidnapping can be a universal definition!

"I told you I had something incredible planned. Don't even get me started on all the crazy things I have planned out for the duration of this stay. We're going to make _Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights _look like more of a joke than it already is. I have every shenanigan planned out down to the very last detail. Trust me boo, I got you."

"Somehow, this worries me. Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend? My best friend is never on time for **anything **and she most certainly does not plan things out. She tends to go with the wind. So, that brings me back to my life changing question: Where the fuck is Patricia Maria De La Rosa?"

She grins as we gather our luggage and descend from the airport.

"She never left. Occasionally I do take pride in being a semi-responsible adult. But, let's not forget, Allison O'dea Dawson, that I **hate **my real name. The next time you call me Patricia, I am going to shove you out in front of on-coming traffic myself."

And this, ladies and gentlemen, was the real reason Trish and I were best friends. She was the nicer one of us, but she was equally as fierce, and she had no problem keeping up with my snarky comments and my sharp, sarcastic wit.

* * *

When they said New York was a city of art, they hadn't been kidding! Already, I had seen at least several people with crazy and offensively dyed hair. One girl had her head completely shaved, and was strutting around in a school girl uniform. She had her cheeks pierced.

Another bloke had lime green hair that literally hurt my eyes if I glanced at it for too long. He was possibly about 17 at the max. He also had contacts in. They were the colored kind, and the center of them contained a smiling devil. I loved this place already!

I had a good feeling I was going to thoroughly enjoy this trip... Maybe. I still had my doubts, but maybe it was possible to actually have a good time. Still, let's not get our hopes up. Good things come when they're least expected, and I didn't want us to get too excited.

After a few unsuccessful attempts at hailing a taxi cab, we finally managed to chase one down, and now we were heading through the busy and overcrowded streets of New York. My eyes were glued out the window, staring at all the crazy things happening all around me. If there was one positive thing to note about New York, it was that it was most certainly always busy, and never dull.

Trish rattled off some address to our cab driver, who was a rude man named Marvin. He had the patience of a three year old, and the minute Trish gave him the address he was speeding off. Jesus, were all people this snippity? I was glad Trish had already thought of the hotel, although I was a little worried our motel might have roaches or something.

I wasn't saying New York was filthy, even though from obvious studies, it wasn't the cleanest place to take up residence in. However, neither Trish or I were particularly rich. I mean, we weren't struggling to get by or anything. Actually, I guess I should say that our parents were pretty well off. But, it wasn't like I got to take lavish vacations any time I had the urge to go somewhere warm.

My parents were wealthier than Trish's, and even with her job, we'd never be able to afford some five star hotel. The cab slows to a stop, breaks squealing the entire time. I think it was time for someone to get their motor checked. The squealing hurt my ears, and I grimaced at the awful sound. I was too caught up in the horrid noise to pay attention to the hotel we had stopped in front of.

Trish quickly paid our peevish cab driver, we grabbed our luggage, and that's when I took the time to _really _look at the hotel. For starters, it was _huge_! I mean, buildings were big in New York anyway, but this hotel had to be at _least _52 storeys tall! It was grey, but it looked so refined, and fancy. It had a fairytale appearance. Fuck Disneyland, this was the true destination of magical. The sign above it identified it as "The Four Seasons Hotel." That's when I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't mental, or dreaming.

"May I take your luggage, ladies?" A bellhop asks, his accent slightly british. It's official. I have died and went straight to heaven. I was 1000% ok with this. We hand over our luggage, but we make no attempt to move. I am too captivated, and I have no desire to move from the spot I am rooted to. Hell, even if we were just sleeping out here, I would be A-Oh-fucking-kay with it. But, that sounded like a great way of getting mugged, or raped, or god know's what else, so maybe not.

If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up. "Trish, pinch me." I say suddenly, my eyes continuing to stare at the hotel as if it's candy. She gives me a chuckle before we link arms, and begin to walk into the hotel. If I thought the outside was _nice _don't even get me started on the inside of the hotel! It was a palace in the making, and I was about to shit myself.

Of course, I was also really curious. Hotels like this weren't cheap, and I was sincerely wondering how Trish had managed to hook us up with such a sweet hotel. Was this her way of getting back at me? Maybe it was. I'd do it, if I was annoyed with someone enough. I'd take them to the fanciest hotel I could think of, get their hopes up, and then mention that I was kidding, and that they were out of their fucking mind if they thought we were actually staying here.

But, even if it's a cruel joke, I'm going to enjoy it thoroughly. The lobby could quite possibly house a third world country. And that was just one freaking room out of who knows how many. There were glass doors everywhere, and the floor was made out of real marble. It must be nice to be able to afford to stay in a hotel this lavish. I mean, our carpets were plush, but that was about as close to a mac daddy pad as it got. This place? This made me feel like a hobo.

The receptionist is dressed in a simple black pantsuit, but I think because of the elegance of this place, it makes her look like a princess, instead of a receptionist. Ok, there's my over-active imagination going at it again guys. Her hair is incredibly curly brown hair, and dark brown eyes that significantly resembles burnt wood. But, she gives us a kind, forced smile.

I feel kind of bad for her. I'm sure some of the guests must be the reincarnation of Satan himself, and yet, she has to sit here and smile and act pleased to be talked down to. I'm sure she got verbally abused plenty by the snooty people who visited this hotel. I mean, not all rich people are horrid, but I couldn't even imagine how much willpower she had not to slap half of them across the face with a brick. I couldn't even work here for an hour.

"May I help you?" She asks smoothly, giving both of us a curious glance. I suppose she doesn't get people like us too often. Neither of us are dressed in fancy cocktail dresses, or sported prada bags. I knew we stuck out in this place we stuck out like a sore thumb. I was wearing a darned AC/DC tank top that was fading from all the times it had been in the wash, and high-waisted shorts.

Trish looked a little more... suited to a place like this, but not by much. She was wearing a black tutu skirt with fake leather leggings underneath. Her top was a red and black checkered blouse. We looked like quite the pair, and we definitely did not look like we belonged in a place like this. Still, she doesn't appear to be judgemental, just a little bewildered.

"Uh, yeah. Reservation for two, Trish De La Rosa." Trish states calmly, and now I'm beginning to wonder if maybe she is taking this joke just a little _too _far. Especially when the lady frowns and knits her eyebrows together in frustration.

"Oh! Yes, here you are. Room 368. You've got the Ty Warner Penthouse Suite."

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head at that. The Ty Warner Penthouse Suite was only the most expensive suite in New York City at $45,000 per night. How on earth was Trish going to afford this? Unless she'd won the lottery, but Trish would never be able to keep her mouth shut about something like _that_. No, something was up. And I was damn determined to figure out what was going on. Ally Dawson hated secrets.

I cast a sideway glance at Trish, and note that for a brief moment, her face looks completely stunned. But, as if she senses my curious gaze, she quickly covers it, and flashes a dazzling, reassuring smile in my direction. I narrow my eyes in suspicion. Yes, something was definitely going on. Trish wasn't fooling me.

What if she actually couldn't pay for this, but didn't want me to know? Knowing my luck, we'd be doing a midnight skedaddle to make sure the hotel didn't charge us such a pretty penny. But something wasn't adding up. If she was planning on running, why would she check using her own name? Trish was good at planning details, and she'd never take such a risky chance.

_Patricia Maria De La Rosa just what exactly are you planning?_ I compose myself as Trish grabs our room key and gives me an excited smile. Her smile says 'I've got this, don't worry.' But, I am worried. I didn't like knowing that something was going to happen and that she was informed on whatever it was. It made me uneasy.

* * *

I was completely beckoned in awe once we entered our room. I had never seen something so incredible looking in my entire life. And we were going to sleep in _here_? This made Cinderella's castle look like a joke. Where did I even begin? How could I describe such an amazing and unbelievable sight?

For starters, the room was **huge**. No, scratch that! Huge wasn't even an applicable adjective for this room. It was quite possibly big enough to house an entire small country comfortably. Ok, maybe not that big. But, at 4,300 square feet, it was huge. And no, I hadn't done the math on that. When I was looking up opportunities to rendezvous in New York, I had, at one point done a little bit of research on The Four Seasons hotel.

The windows were floor-to-ceiling, and it was a 360 degree view. The view was simply amazing. I could see half of New York, and down below was Central Park. We were staying on Park Avenue, and we were living like we were prime ministers or any royalty. The decor was a pale pink and gold style. It reminded me of old French hotels in the movies. There were real diamonds embedded in the furniture, and even better, there was an enormous King size bed, canopy included. And, legend had it that Marilyn Monroe had once stayed in this very room. Uh, yes please.

For once, I looked past all the negativity that I had been harboring. Well, at least for a few minutes, until I started obsessively analyzing the situation was all part of my needing to be in control. And how was I going to control this situation? I wasn't sure how to feel right now. Big shock there, right? I didn't know whether to cry at the sheer prospect of sleeping in here, even if only for a few hours, or find the logic in all of this.

I grabbed a soda from the fridge and plop down in one of the overstuffed couches. I practically sink into the material, and I rub my cheek against the plush fabric. I hear a snicker, and glance up to see Trish standing there, soda in hand, with a smug look on her face. I roll my eyes.

"And just what does Trish find so amusing, exactly?"

"Oh, the fact that you were totally against this trip, and yet, here you are, snuggling into the couch. Clearly you worship that thing. Come on, say it."

"Say what, exactly?"

"That I am the best friend in the entire history of friendship, and you adore me, and that you were wrong for doubting my sincerity."

I raise my eyebrows and give her a baffled expression. Was she being serious right now. Her cocky stance and knowing smile give me my answer. "Trish, you are the best friend in the entire world, you're amazing, I don't know what I would do without you, and I was wrong. You were right, this is turning into a pretty sweet situation."

Trish smiles before bouncing into a large Lazy Boy recliner. Damn, she looks comfortable. She reaches for the remote on the table, and I let out a silent curse. Knowing my luck, Trish would find something related to The Great Escape, and I was grow more agitated than I already was. Joy. Much to my relief, she doesn't. But, she does choose something almost equally as crappy. Hollywood Unloaded. God, I hated this show.

Hollywood Unloaded was the biggest load of bullocks I had witnessed, and I cursed all the people who fed into this show's ruthlessness and obsessive stalking just to get a couple words from a celebrity. Pretty much anything they did was considered huge news. **BREAKING NEWS: Harry Styles is breathing today, Austin Moon took a shit today, Lindsay Lohan wore a rose in her hair today. **They chose the most stupidest things possible, and turned them into headline news.

"Good evening. I'm Amber Sailor, and I am here to bring you the latest gossip that has been swarming Hollywood lately. Austin Moon and his mystery girl. During a concert in Miami, Austin dedicated a song to someone named Ally Dawson. Specifically, a Beatles song, which implies he really like this girl. He insisted this girl was obsessed with them. So, what Hollywood and the rest of the world want to know is, who exactly is Ally Dawson? A dedicated fan? Possible lover? Is the world about to be heartbroken now that the teenage sensation may possibly have a girlfriend? I don't know about you, but I am dying to know who this strange woman is, and what her relationship with Austin Moon is. Stay tuned, Hollywood, because this is going to be a head turner. Things are about to get interesting. Don't you dare move from that seat, as we dive deeper into the rivalry between The Great Escape and One Direction. Tom has all the latest feud updates."

I can feel my mouth open and gape in shock, but I can't move. I am literally so upset that I am frozen, my eyes glued to the screen. Excuse me? Why was it any of their business in the first place? I had wondered why everyone was quietly whispering about me, and now I had figured it out. Austin had officially dammed me to the pits of hell with his careless mistake. Now I was literally being talked about by every major gossip tabloid and television program imaginable.

People apparently had nothing better to do than examine every tiny little detail they discovered about a celebrity. I don't understand why anyone would be so obsessed over something like this. I mean, it wasn't like I was the first girl Austin had pursued, although I couldn't really recall any time when he had declared it publicly. But, it wasn't like he really cared about me at all, so why had he done it then?

Had he wanted a quick shag, and assumed by alerting the press to my very existence, I'd be another notch in his belt? Sometimes I wished that guys weren't really from Jupiter, and that they were easier to understand. I was getting a headache from all the thinking I was doing. I was critically analyzing everything, and I was starting to feel worn down.

I can feel Trish's gaze fixated on my face in confusion. She opens her mouth to say something, before closing it, and then repeating the process. After the fourth time I sigh. "Trish, whatever you're going to say, just say it. I'm a big girl, and I can handle whatever you're thinking." My voice comes out a little harsh, and I feel bad immediately. But, if Trish has heard my tone, she hasn't shown any acknowledgement.

"I was just thinking, why it was such a big deal? I don't understand why the press is making up such wild stories, and why everyone has become so obsessed. I don't mean that in a bad way, but it's... Odd. If someone would've said that Ally Dawson was making headlines across America, and being allegedly involved with Austin Moon, I would've pissed with joy. And now? That's exactly what's happened."

"I wish I knew too. I hate all the attention, and it's only just begun. I've seen this type of thing happen before, and never in a million years did I ever expect to be known for anything, except maybe someday as a musician. But, that dream never happened. I'm annoyed, because I'm an ordinary person who shouldn't be in the headlines period. I-"

While I was talking, Trish had changed the channel to another stupid tabloid, lie infested show. The Young and Scandalous was just as idiotic as Hollywood Unloaded, if not even worse. But, hearing my name cuts me off mid sentence, and I cast my gaze to the woman in front of us.

"Good evening, I'm Sabine Brooks. Tonight's story revolves around two single words: Ally Dawson. The world is going beyond itself in curiosity as fans wonder about the identity of this woman. Austin Moon is not known for having actual relationships, but this girl seemed important enough. Our sources say that they saw Austin disappearing around the corner after his concert in Miami with a strange brunette in tow. Is she Ally Dawson? I don't know about all of you watching from home, but I am in pain waiting for some clue. This is a mystery, and all the world just wants a clue. Everyone was thoroughly shocked when Austin Moon dedicated a song to a fan, and even called her out. No one could miss the excitement on his face when he said it. Does this imply that the worldwide heartbreaker has finally decided to settle down? Has the lion been tamed? Fans have become officially obsessed, and already their couple name 'Auslly' has become a trend on Twitter. Some fans have even already begun writing fan fiction staring Austin and this mystery girl Ally. Do we hear wedding bells for the future? But, not all fans are happy about this. Over the weekend, there have been many angry and even threatening tweets directed at Ally. #AllyBetterManUp is also trending, directly in second place. Here are just a few:

AustinLover11: _Ally Dawson is a b**** and I bet she's just looking for attention._

GreatEscape=Lifee: _I can't believe Austin would get into a fling with someone like Ally. #MakeAustinSeeTheTruth._

MrsTayMoon: _Wow. Austin is being so stupid, chasing after someone who doesn't appreciate him. #AllyBetterManUp_

Austin'sGirl: _Oh my god! Ally needs to go away. Let's rid the world of Ally! Who's with me? (:_

Ally Dawson sure has to watch her back, because us Escape Artists are coming for you. We are going to follow this story closely. No one is safe, and soon we will quench the worldwide thirst that has plagued the earth with the anticipation and wait. This has been Sabine Brooks, stay tuned."

Ally Dawson had been pissed many times before. It wasn't something new, and I had a good feeling that it wasn't subject to change anytime soon. But, this was quite possibly the most pissed I'd ever been in my life. To say I was mad was quite the understatement. I was raving and aberrant. There wasn't a better word I could come up with for how I was feeling.

I wanted to hit someone again, or rip every fragile cloth in this hotel room with my bare hands. I wanted to cause destruction, and I wanted to do it now. I could feel my lip curl into a snarl, and I'm almost certain I let out a low growl. I had been aggravated before, but now I was reaching the end of my patience. I had to get in contact with Austin and demand he fix this. This was all his fault anyway.

Why should I pay the price for his slip up? Why didn't he just listen to me in the first place, and return it the next day? I didn't understand what game he was playing, but right now, I was stuck in the middle of the board, slowly being surrounded on all sides by Austin's pawns. I was losing my sanity. And now we had a couple name?! What was wrong with the world.

How dare they post such trash about me! I was ready to bash someone's head against a wall. Could I serve them for public harassment, or endangerment of my life? How fucking dare people call me names and wish to get rid of me. I was not such a horrible person that I deserved death. At least, I hoped I wasn't. And the worst part was, there was not one damn thing I could do about it.

If I slipped out of the shadows, I would be stalked, and knowing how borderline obsessive his fans were, they would probably find my house and show up in a mob with pitch forks. But, if I kept my trap shut, I was not disproving the world. They thought that Auslly might possibly be an actual thing, which sickened me. As if that would ever happen. I didn't date guys who wore more makeup than me, and Austin didn't date girls with personality.

We'd never work out in the end. But, what did I care? The way I saw it, at least I had managed to leave with just a sliver of dignity. I was free of the asshole, and soon this would all blow over. I mean, people obsessed over Kim Kardashian's fetus for months, but eventually they found other things to shit themselves about. I wasn't a fascinating person, so I was certain that eventually the press would lose interest, and people would forget my name.

And fan fiction? What. The. Fuck. People didn't even have a clue what I looked like, and people were already shipping us together? No. This was not going to work. Things were going to be fixed, whether I had to do them myself, or not. I was not the kind of person to write fanfiction about, because I was so ordinary. My only redeeming qualities were that I listened to amazing music, and that I could carry a tune now and then.

But, fanfiction was just a complete and utter waste of effort. We weren't friends, and we sure as hell were not a couple. Auslly was a thing that was **never** going to happen. Not while I still had a rational bone in my body. I was good at fixing situations, and this one proved to be no different. Well, it was a little bigger than most of my other problems... But, I was smart. I had a good chance at coming out of this on top.

One way or another, people were going to realize that Ally O'dea Dawson was not a person who dated crummy musicians. The world was going to erase me from their memory, and then I could gladly go back to mocking all the tabloids that I was being spoken about on. Even if I made a complete ass of myself to achieve my goal.

* * *

_Just to prevent any confusion, "Escape Artists" are what fans of the Great Escape are called. Yoy know, like Directioners, Beliebers, Swifites, Katycats, Black Stars, Echelons, Maggots... I just didn't want to get a lot of people scratching their heads in confusion. Are you guys ready to see what Austin has in store for Ally? I know I am. But, I don't know what's going to happen, because I've never read this book before. But, I hope it's bloody brilliant. Otherwise, I want my money back!_

_And Ally's middle name hasn't been revealed yet, so I just picked one I've always liked. So, in case you missed that, O'dea is not really Ally's middle name. I have no clue what her middle name actually is. Do you guys think Ally is still being a drama queen? I think she needs a dose of reality, or maybe a little dose of Austin. (; Hmm... I wonder what the author has in store for us._

_Ha, sorry, I'm a dork._

_Xoxo,_

_Enlightening Tale Brethren._


	13. Come Together

Our first night was pretty exciting. We went out to eat, and we did a little bit of sight seeing. We hadn't gone to any museums, but we had went to the Statue of Liberty, so I thought it was a good day. I had certainly passed out. I remember ordering lobster from room service, after Trish assuring me that "everything had already been taken care of."

And the lobster was fabulous, by the way. Every last, tender bite of it. I was going to find it hard to eat peasant food once we returned to the real word. But, throughout the entire thing, I continued to wonder how Trish was "covering this." I didn't know many people with money like this who were willing to spend so much money on two teenage girls. The entire thing was... Troubling, to say the least.

Still, I never looked a gift horse in the mouth, and I wasn't about to not take advantage of an all expense paid for vacation. This would probably never happen again, and I wanted to savor every second of this rare opportunity. The sunlight was blinding as I opened my eyes slowly, letting my pupils adjust. For a second, I was confused as to where I was. I mean, last I checked, my bedroom was most definitely **not **this lavish.

But, after a minute I remembered I was in New York City, and I was staying at the most lavish hotel imaginable. I shot upright in glee, and stretched out, greedily enjoying the incredibly plush mattress I was laying on. I mean, this stuff felt like it was made from clouds. How many people could say that about a stupid bed? I never wanted to get up, but I remembered that today was day two, and I wasn't going to waste it by laying in bed all day.

Trish had emerged from her room at the same time I did, and we took in each other's bed-head appearances. "Jeez Ally, I didn't realize that the Hobo look was back in. Why didn't anyone remind me?" Trish teases, as she shuffles her way toward the kitchen. Her hair was sticking up in all directions, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I do not look like a hobo. I am clearly a professional bum."

She shakes her head, muttering something under her breath as she emerges from the kitchen with a bottle of orange juice. "Right, because that's much better. Christ Ally, we need to teach you how to look like a _woman_."_  
_

I flip her the bird before I head off to the bathroom to begin the process of looking semi-human. I was not going to walk around New York City looking like I had been living in the mountains for months. Alright, maybe I didn't look **that** bad, but glancing into the mirror, I did look pretty horrifying. My pajama shorts were splattered in hair dye and other stains that came from unknown origins. It's not like I was a slob, but I did tend to wear these shorts for pretty much any lazy activity I did. I mean, Pokemon was my most favorite thing in the world, and I was not going to throw away Vaporeon pajama shorts. Vaporeon is my favorite pokemon.

My hair was in an afro state, and completely staticky. Holy hell, I looked like a homeless person. My tank top was torn in various areas from frequent use as well. What could I say? Apparently I was rough on clothing. My face was flushed, and my eyes looked glossy still. I needed to wake up soon. I turned on the shower and relaxed.

* * *

Trish had hopped into the shower after me, so I decided to watch some tv while I waited. Trish tended to take longer than I did when it came to getting ready. The difference between us was she actually cared what people thought, and I did it more for myself than anyone else. I had just settled on Dragon Tales when, for some reason the station jumped over.

"What the fuck?" I grumbled, as Hollywood Unloaded came on. I tried to click on another channel, but the television continued to say that all the stations were recording right now. Stupid Dish Hopper. I thought this thing was supposed to be the golden shit of television technology. It looked like I was now stuck watching this shit. I just **loved **Hollywood Unloaded. Especially since I had heard my name on at least four different gossip shows. For fuck's sake, did no one have anything better to talk about? It wasn't like I was God. I was just another simple, invisible girl, and I had no desire to be in the spotlight.

I hated most celebrities because everyone obsessed over them for stupid shit, and here was just another example to add. I didn't want to be a cover story. I wanted people to focus on anything but me. I was tired of hearing the same questions over and over again. _Who is Ally Dawson? Are Ally and Austin dating? Is Auslly a real thing? Are they just friends? _I swear to God, if I heard my name mentioned out of some trashy "anchor's" mouth one more time, I was going to shoot someone. Sure, prison would suck at first, but I was tough, and I could adjust.

"Good morning Hollywood! I'm your host, Amber Sailor. Today's topic of discussion is on the most sought out concert of the month: The Scream - It is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Tour. It's supposed to feature a whole lot of acts tomorrow at Madison Square Garden, and everyone is buzzing about it. I hope you already have your ticket, because they are sold out. I guess no one could miss out on an event as crazy as this. It's going to feature everyone from One Direction to The Rolling Stones..."

I sputter in shock. The Rolling Stones were having a concert? Tomorrow? And I didn't have tickets? What the hell! This was the most devastating thing since Tommy Turnwell rejected my valentine in fifth grade. I flickered my attention to an approaching figure and glance up at Trish. She's dressed in a coral summer dress, which would look horrid on me. She paired it with golden sandals, and she had curled her hair. I would never understand how she always managed to look so put together. It made me jealous sometimes.

"What's wrong Ally? You look like your dog just got hit by a bus."

"The Rolling Stones are having a concert tomorrow, and the tickets are all sold out!"

"Oh, that concert in Madison Square Garden?"

"Yes! I mean, this might of been my only chance to see them in real life."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I already got us tickets for that." Trish says absentmindedly, grabbing an apple out of the basket. My eyes nearly pop out of my head in disbelief.

"You got us tickets to one of the most highly anticipated concerts of the year? How? And why didn't you tell me?"

Trish laughs, before taking another loud bite out of her apple. "Of course silly. I figured it would make you happy. I had planned on keeping it a secret, but, it's too exciting to keep quite about!"

"But... Trish, you hate The Rolling Stones. You complain about them enough.."

"Yes, but you love them, and I figure that I can endure them for just one night. Plus, I'm sure they'll have bands I like as well. For instance, One Direction will be there, and I don't mind their music. I'm not a die hard directioner, but I think I can enjoy it."

"Trish, you are the best friend in the entire world!" I squeal, suddenly full of energy. This was a freaking dream come true. I was going to see The Rolling Stones tomorrow, and I couldn't be more ecstatic about the entire thing."

"But, how are we getting there?"

"Oh, I have plane tickets for Wisconsin. Don't worry Alls, I've told you a million times already, I have everything covered. You just sit back and enjoy the ride."

I simply nod, to stoked about the upcoming concert to wonder how the hell she actually managed to afford tickets for both New York and Wisconsin. She _had _to have someone very rich and generous at least helping out with the cost. I suppose maybe this was the point where I really should've realized something was going on. Why on earth did Ally Dawson have to be so damn unobservant?

* * *

Yesterday had been a rather hectic day, what with cramming as many activities as possible before hopping onto a plane around 8 p.m. We saw Times Square, the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, and The St. Patrick's Cathedral. It had been a lot of traveling, but it had been worth it. I was already in love with New York City, and I was sad that we hadn't gotten to go see a show on Broadway. But, Trish had assured me we would visit it on the way back. I was ok with this.

We had stayed in a cheaper motel this time, not that I really cared. The beds were still comfortable, and I slept like a baby. I had a hard time falling asleep though, because I was too excited about the concert I would soon be attending. For Godrick's sake, I was as eager as any fangirl was, if not more. I quickly got out of bed and walked out into the living room. Trish was already awake, her tired eyes glancing at the tv, her hands holding a steaming mug of coffee.

She smiled at me as I sat down and turned the volume down a little bit. "Hey, how'd you sleep?" she asks, her voice rough and sleepy.

"I slept pretty good. Well, once I actually managed to fall asleep, that is. Holy hell, I am so excited about tonight. I have never been more excited for anything in my entire life. I can't believe this is happening! How about you?"

"I slept pretty good. In fact, I am so excited about the concert that I am up four hours _earlier_ than usual. That was true. It was only 8, and Trish usually didn't get up until noon. I couldn't say much though, since I was good at out-sleeping Trish. As a matter of fact, I was a professional. People would be jealous of how easily I could turn anything into a bed. Desk, chair, bench... I was good. That was probably part of the reason I got scolded a lot during school. Oh well.

I make myself a mug of coffee, and sit down next to Trish, letting the caffeine help wake me up even further. We spend the day watching movies, which I'd say was a pretty pleasant way to spend the day. We watched The Amazing Spider Man 2 and We're the Millers. Trish had been slightly appalled by my choice in movies. I had a more... _crude_ sense of humor. Hell, I was a master pervert. But, even Trish found it funny... And she had to agree, because I had to spend two hours listening to her gush about how hot Andrew Garfield was. Although, I did secretly agree, but I'd never admit it.

Around 7, we began getting ready. Trish once again insisted on making me her personal Barbie doll. I hated that girl sometimes, I really did. She tamed my usually curly hair into large, soft curls. She did liquid eyeliner, and a combination of gold, brown, and black eyeshadow. She then dressed me in some high-waisted leather shorts, my favorite vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt (A hand me down from my dad, who had actually bough it at one of their concerts in '60), and my black converse shoes.

I glanced at the finished product, and even I had to admit, I looked pretty sweet. "Now, all you need is a Fedora to finish it." Trish said smugly, knowing that I actually did like what she had done to me.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "It will be a chilly day in hell before I wear a Fedora. I'll wear a Fedora right after I buy myself a pair of Crocs." I muse sarcastically.

"Jesus, Ms. Sassy-Pants, pipe the fuck down. Now, scootch, because I have to work on myself now."

I slid out of the seat she had held me hostage in for two hours, and stretched out in relief. My butt had started going numb from all the sitting I had endured. It felt nice to be out of that chair, even if my limbs were struggling to dethaw.

Trish didn't spend nearly as much time on herself as she had with me. I'd say, maybe an hour tops. "Well, how do I look?" she asked me once she was finished. I took in her appearance slowly, making sure that there was nothing to critique. I couldn't find anything wrong with her appearance. In fact, I found myself envying how she could pull of such a bold look.

She had scrunched her hair up, so her already extremely curly hair was styled messily. On anyone else, it would look disgusting, but somehow Trish made it look like a hairstyle fit for a royal. She dressed herself in white lace shorts, a t-shirt that said "And in that moment, I swear we were infinite" in the shape of an infinity sign, a checkered studded belt, and electric green high-top DC's. She also added electric blue hair chalk to her hair and skull earrings, which gave her an almost "punk appearance." It was odd to see on Trish, but no one could deny that she pulled it off.

Her make up was similar to mine, except she had done gold eyeshadow with a little bit of white in the corners, and vanilla" (her words, not mine) eyeliner on her bottom lids. Her eyelashes were curled to maximum length, and she looked hot. "I have to say, honestly, I'd go gay for you."

She puffed out her chest slightly, looking beyond pleased with herself. God, I think Trish and Austin would be a perfect match. They were both far too cocky for their own good. Any more compliments, and I feared Trish's head would get too big for her body. That girl needed a healthy dose of humbility. But, I'd save it for another day. There was no need to kill her good mood on a night like this! I glanced at the clock, and noted that it was 7:15. I wondered when the concert was starting.

Trish answered my silent question by grabbing her purse, and giving me a lopsided grin. "Ready to go? The concert starts at 8."

"We're not being picked up in another limo again, are we?" I jokingly asked as we left the hotel room. Trish just raised an eyebrow, avoiding my question. That was almost a certain and unspoken "yes." Well, at least this time I could enjoy the ride, because I wasn't going to see a band that I hated.

Sure enough, a black, stretch limo waits outside, the driver standing there patiently. I was going to marry whoever arranged this, mark my words. If this was how the rich and beautiful lived, sign me up. Our driver opens the door, after complimenting how beautiful we looked. It was always nice to receive such awesome compliments, especially from strangers. Strangers tended to be more honest.

* * *

Somehow, we have once again gained access to the front row, and I was beginning to really wonder just how rich this person was. These tickets couldn't have been cheap, and somehow, they had been able to afford two of them in addiction to everything else? I was already in love with this stranger. I would marry them, no questions asked.

It's already becoming pretty packed in here. I mean, there have to be thousands of people here. It's a good thing I didn't have a severe case of social anxiety. This looked like a nightmare for someone who didn't enjoy talking to people. Oh wait, that's right. I hate just about everyone, and this place was packed full of strangers. It's a good thing there was a good lineup, or I would be complaining.

I grow impatient as we get closer to 8. I can't wait for the concert to begin, and I can't wait to see some of the most incredible bands in history. I didn't care if I had to stand here for months. This was my dream come true, and I would endure any pain that came with it. The lights finally flashed, and I joined in with all the screaming that started, my adrenaline at an all time high. Adam Sandler comes on the stage, and I grin in delight. I love Adam Sandler, and I was 500% ok with this.

"How's everybody doing tonight?" He yells, and the crowd erupts into deafening cheers. He waits until the noise dies down a little bit, before he continues with his speech. "Tonight's show is going to be kick ass. Music has been around forever, and it's the best way to unite all the weirdos out there together. I mean, what better way to bond with a random human than over provocative lyrics and random guitar riffs. But hey, you guys don't seriously want to stand here and listen to me, do you? I'm just a loser who can't sing a single note, and a washed out comedian who stole the mike tonight." We all boo, and he grins, giving us all a very unsubtle wink. "Nah, I'm just kidding. So, let's start with one of my personal favorites, and our opening act, Def Leppard!"

The audience roars in delight, and Adam gives us a wave before heading off the stage just as the band comes on. If I thought we were excited to see Adam, everyone went berserk when Def Leppard came on. Even Trish was yelling, and she wasn't one who really enjoyed rock in general. They launched right into the song with no nonsense introductions, much to my disappointment.

_Step inside, walk this way._

_You and me babe, Hey, hey!_

_Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on._

_Livin' like a lover with a radar phone._

_Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp._

_Demolition woman, can I be your man?_

_Razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light,_

_Television lover, baby, go all night._

_Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet,_

_Little miss ah innocent sugar me, yeah._

_Hey! __C'mon, take a bottle, shake it up,_

_Break the bubble, break it up._

_Pour some sugar on me,  
_

_Ooh, in the name of love,  
_

_Pour some sugar on me,  
_

_C'mon, fire me up,  
_

_Pour your sugar on me,  
_

_Oh, I can't get enough._

_I'm hot, sticky sweet,_

_From my head to my feet, yeah._

I found myself singing loudly along to one of the greatest sex songs ever. Def Leppard were legends, and here I was, seeing them live in concert. It was the most exciting thing I'd ever had happen, and I constantly wanted to pinch myself to make sure that this was all for real, and not just the most amazing dream I'd ever had. I wasn't surprised at how many people knew the lyrics, but it was amazing at how connected we all sounded, singing along to the band. Joe Elliot was incredible, and he sounded better singing live than any album I had ever heard him on. After Animal and Foolin', they departed, and on came Journey.

I was still unaware of the entire lineup, but I was pretty stoked to see Journey here as well. Anyone who didn't like Journey could go die in a hole somewhere. They did, of course, start with their most known song, but I wasn't complaining.

_Just a small town girl,_

_Livin' in a lonely world._

_She took the midnight train,_

_Goin' anywhere._

_Just a city boy,_

_Born and raised in South Detroit._

_He took the midnight train,_

_Goin' anywhere._

_A singer in a smokey room,_

_The smell of wine and cheap perfume._

_For a smile they can share the night,_

_It goes on and on and on and on._

_Strangers waiting,_

_Up and down the boulevard,_

_Their shadows searching,_

_In the night._

_Streetlight, people,_

_Livin' just to find emotion._

_Hidin' somewhere in the night..._

I could never express the emotions I felt while singing along with any of the bands that night. I was glad we hadn't gotten to the shitty bands, because I did not feel like dealing with One Direction, or possibly Justin Bieber tonight. Journey repeats the same process by playing Separate Ways and Wheel in the Sky.

Much to my dismay, the next act is One Direction, and I fight to roll my eyes. I was definitely what they called a "directionator." One Direction could honestly go hug a landmine for all I cared. The one with the big, curly brown hair, Harry, I think his name is, saunters up to the microphone. I swear to god I can hear ovaries popping as he lips his lips. They were panting like dogs in heat for Godric's sake! It was appalling and disturbing.

"Hello everyone, we're One Direction. Four years ago, if someone would've said we would be touring the world and making music for a living, I would've shrugged them off and insisted they were bloody mental. But, because of all the support we've received, I get to spend all my days hanging out with my five best mates and sharing my vocals with the world. There are literally no words to describe our gratitude for each and every one of our fans, from Alaska all the way to Madagascar. We love you all."

Well, blimey, his voice was a lot deeper than I thought. I mean, he had the deepest voice on the album, but his voice was much more ragged and raspy in real life. The rest of his group, (I say group because they are **not **a band. A band plays instruments. They just did vocals) flash dazzling smiles, especially the blonde one. "God, they're so cute!" Trish gushes, flashing me an eager smile. Why did I agree to sit through this again?

The stadium becomes alive with shrieking and various objects being thrown towards the stage as they begin their first song, which is Story of My Life. Secretly, I did actually like this song, but I would never tell a soul that I did. People might get the wrong idea and think I was into shitty music too. And my music taste was everything to me. It was the one thing I had that most girls my age lacked.

_Written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain._

_I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days._

_She told me in the morning she don't feel the same about us in her bones._

_Seems to me that when, I die these words will be written on my stone._

_And I'll be gone, gone tonight,_

_The ground beneath my feet is open wide._

_The way that I been holding on too tight,_

_With nothing in between._

_The story of my life,_

_I take her home,_

_I drive all night to keep her warm,_

_And time... is frozen (the story of, the story of)._

_The story of my life,_

_I give her hope,_

_I spend her love._

_Until she's broke inside,_

_The story of my life (the story of, the story of)._

All the girls are singing along, even me, although I make sure Trish isn't paying attention to the fact that I am. She would mock and ridicule me for the rest of my life if she saw me lip synching. That was just how Trish was. And I'd have to live with her satisfying smirks, telling me that I was wrong about her music taste. There was also a lot of crying, which was a little dramatic and pathetic. They were just people, not Gods.

They play Best Song Ever and Little Things, before finally making their exit. I couldn't be more relieved. I thought _I _was going to go insane from all the annoying fangirl reactions. It was basically Sherlock in music form. They were fucking sobbing by the time the band was finished. Noobs.

After One Direction came Taylor Swift (I found it ironic that both Harry and Taylor would be here, not that I actually gave even half a fuck about 'Haylor') Hinder, and Foreigner. I sang really, really loudly to Foreigner and managed to earn some dirty looks from nearby fans. Like they had any room to freaking judge. I pull out my phone and glance at the time, surprised that it's already almost ten. That means there are three bands left, and I hoped I was ok with all three.

First up was Linkin Park, which literally almost made me piss myself in joy. I **love **Linkin Park almost as much as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. The lead singer, Chester Bennington was hot, and he had the voice of an angel. The three songs they played gave me an eargasm: What I've Done, Guilty All the Same, and Easier to Run. I was in heaven, and I prayed to God that the pure bliss never ended.

Trish had been correct; This trip was just the thing I needed to get better. Austin who? I was in a great mood, and for once, no outside worries consumed me. Not a bother was given on this day. Not a single bother. Yes, that was a Winnie the Pooh bear reference. YOLO! Ew, just kidding. YOLO was stupid. Hakuna Matata all the way.

I waited impatiently for the next band, praying that it would be The Rolling Stones. I didn't care about the other band, I came mainly to see them. The other bands had just been an added plus. The lights dimmed, and I watched as figures began emerging on the stage. Suddenly, the lights flashed on, and my breath hitched in shock.

Austin. He was here! The Great Escape was fucking playing tonight. I should've known that there had to be a reason that Trish was going to this concert. I **knew **she was up to something! That cunning little vixen! I knew the universe was bound to be out to get me, I had just hoped it wasn't going to be this soon. It just figured. Good luck tended to avoid me like the plague.

"Hey everyone! How are you doing? tonight" A girl asks, grinning at the crowd. I have to admit, she looks pretty sweet, for being in a pop band. I guess I lied. The Great Escape wasn't _technically _a boy band, but they still played the same shit. She has bright pink and lime green streaks and her hair is a really long black! She's dressed in a violet dress with a chain belt, and rainbow fishnets. I swear, if I ever attempted such a look, I would be mistaken for a clown. I didn't even know The Great Escape _had _any females in the band, besides groupies.

She looks more like the lead singer for In This Moment than for some washed out pop band. I guess the world would never cease to surprise me.

"We're so honored to be here, and I can't believe that tonight is actually happening! So, this song is dedicated to all of our Escape Artists!" She does a fist pump before heading over to her instrument, which is a guitar. Sweet. I shake my head as Austin grins at the crowd, earning a loud cheer from the crowd. Oh goody.

Why in Godric's name were they even here? They were **not **a rock band. This was a rock concert. This had to be life's idea of an April Fool's Joke. There was no way in hell that this was for real. The Great Escape at a rock concert? It was a crime all in itself! I bite the inside of my lip in frustration, as they begin playing a song.

_Drop top, sitting next to Cee-Lo,_

_Pacific coast highway,_

_This happens every day._

_And our songs keep playing on the radio,_

_Like 20 times a day,_

_Man this is so crazy._

_Keep seein' pretty ladies walking 'round in high heels in LA,_

_What can I say?_

_Sexy shades, two piece, the girls are looking fine today._

_It's getting hot you see._

_I like them Cali girls,_

_Valley girls,_

_Like the way they move,_

_Love the things they do,_

_Keep me up at night._

_I like them Cali girls,_

_Valley girls,_

_When they look at me,_

_Not too hard to see,_

_That a Cali girl is what I need._

Did someone possibly have a gun I could borrow? Please? I'm a little relieved to see a couple other people aren't too keen on The Great Escape either. Well well... It did appear that I was not the only person who had a speck of intelligence left. I had began to fear that everyone in the world had about 5 brain cells left to function on.

But, the majority of the crowd is so excited about The Great Escape playing on stage that they're crying along with the song. I snort. They were treating it like it was the most meaningful and relatable song there was. I could understand a song like Imagine by John Lennon being a tear-jerker, or even Angel by Sarah Mclachlan. I mean, sure, it was on those depressing animal abuse commercials, which probably gave it a huge boost in being such a sad song, but either way, it was your golden ticket to a sob fest.

But this? This was just fucking pathetic. I tried to not judge other people for their music tastes, but this was just ridiculous. This was just like that #CutForBieber thing earlier in the year. Or, when fans of Sleeping With Sirens would cry whenever Kellin Quinn would dedicate A Trophy Father's Trophy Son to those who's father left and never came back. I could understand the fans that really did experience this, but most of them had parents who were in a perfectly happy marriage.

Basically, it was like crying because you were listening to a commercial for that Credit Commercial.

_F-R-E-E,_

_That spells Free, baby._

_Saw their ad on my tv,_

_Thought about going but was too lazy._

_Now instead of rolling fly and looking flat,_

_My pedal's sticking to the vinyl and my posse's getting laughed at._

_F-R-E-E,_

_that spells Free, Credit baby._

God, I used to get a kick out of the first band that performed on there. That was about the height of me liking commercials, unless I needed to pee. I didn't think I could sit through another The Great Escape song. This was an abomination in the writing. What the hell was wrong with the world today? The only thing that kept me rooted to my spot was the fact that The Rolling Stones were on next.

I couldn't give a rat's ass about The Great Escape. I was here to have a **good **time. This shitty music was **not **making that an easy thing to do. All it was successfully doing, besides making good mood vanish, was giving me a headache. Bloody hell, would this fucking song ever finish?

After two more tortuous songs, The Great Escape makes a slow descent off the stage. Why were they still on? Their set was finished, now bring out the real music! I was growing irritated, and I was struggling to refrain from screaming obscenities at them. But, I didn't really feel like being killed before I got to see my favorite band, and that was the only thing keeping my festering gob shut.

Eventually they have disappeared from the stage. They sure had little disregard for other bands, and their fans. The Great Escape sure took their own sweet time exiting. It was rude, annoying, and it made me hate them all that much more. I glance at my watch. 9:58 p.m. God, how much longer was it going to be until I saw my spirit animals in concert?

Finally, the moment I have been waiting for comes, and I shiver in excitement. Mick is the first one out, in leather, which _does _look a little weird, I'll admit... It wasn't exactly horrifying... Just, a little displeasing to the eye... I hated to be a bitch, but wasn't there a certain age for when it was no longer... appropriate to wear leather?

But, I shut my mouth when Mick opens his. He's about to speak, and this was the most important time to focus. "'Ello everyone." Mick greets, giving the crowd an appreciative smile. See? At least The Rolling Stones appreciated their fans. This was yet another reason out of a bajillion other reasons why The Rolling Stones were practically perfect in every way.

"I can't say how wonderful it is to be on stage again. Once you become old and wrinkled like me, you tend to take things less for granted. I want to appreciate everyone for this opportunity. I would like to thank someone who is especially dedicated, and has shown us much love. Her name is Ally Dawson." The entire crowd goes dead silence, and I feel my mouth drop in shock.

_Mick Jagger just said my name..._

_Mick Jagger just said my name!_

_MICK FUCKING JAGGER JUST SAID MY NAME!_

* * *

_AN: To clarify, I don't hate One Direction, or Justin Bieber, so I don't want a thousand comments freaking out on me because of it. Remember, this is Ally, and while I have based Ally on myself quite a lot, Ally **hates **almost any pop music, so of course she's not going to be excited to see One Direction or the Biebs. So, calm yo tits. As always, I love you, and I want to thank you for sticking with me! I also like R5, just saying._

_Xoxo,_

_ETB_


	14. Black Velvet

_Last author's note for a while, I promise! First off, we have reached 100 reviews! Holy tits! Thank you guys so much for all your wonderful feedback. It's helped me so much throughout the story, and all your comments have fed my ego, and kept me going through all of this. I really don't know what I'd do without you! 3_

_*Sigh* This is the third person to ask me this question **"Is this based off The Cell Phone Swap off of Wattpad?"** No, it isn't. I can see how that would be unbelievable, because the two are very similar, but it's not. I had never even read the book until after finishing chapter 8. That's when I finally got the question asked again, and I decided, ok, let's see what all the fuss is about.  
_

_As much as I wish it was, my story is not affiliated with The Cell Phone Swap in any way, shape, or form. I'm slowly going through the process of making sure that things are as completely different as possible, because I'll be damned if I am going to sit here and receive credit for another author's work. **DoNotMicrowave** is a bloody brilliant author who holds more potential in one finger than I have in one asscheek. I **wish **I was as good as her._

_So, hopefully that clears a few things up. I don't have any connection to her, or any of her stories. But, I'm flattered that people think they compare. It makes my heart swell with pride, and it makes me a little sad, too._

_And my second thing of the night, feedback. I was wondering, is there anything **you **guys want to happen? Yes, I'm the writer, so what I say goes, but remember, this is a group effort. Without you guys, nothing happens. None of this works, without all the feedback left by you guys. I can't thank you all enough, which I've said a billion times already, and I'll say it a million times more. Obviously you all want Austin and Ally to shack up and get together. I can't say I blame you. I'm shipping them too! (Obviously, since I'm writing a fanfic about them.)_

_Xoxo,_

_-Enlightening Tale Brethren._

* * *

Trish is gaping at me in obvious shock. She's not even trying to hide it at this point. Which I guess, surprises me, since I had figured she was in on the whole thing. Apparently that was a stretch from the truth. I give her a shrug, not really sure what's going on here.

The crowd goes silent, suddenly tongue tied. There's my name again, being mentioned by **another **celebrity. Only, in this case, he's a proper legend, and not a spineless pansy, like Austin. People were clearly confused, and a lot of people were going to want answers. Once could be a fluke, but twice? People were about to start searching for the identity of Ally Dawson.

Well, more than they already were, anyway.

There was no coming out of this, or remaining anonymous. I wanted to curse Austin, but at the same time, Mick Jagger just said my name, so I was in a pretty good mood, even if I was really shell shocked.

"Ally, I read your letters. Thank you!" He winks and drawls out, giving the crowd a lazy grin.

I am smiling so wide that I think my face is going to get stuck like this. But, I don't care, because I just got a very public shout out from a man I'd been listening to since I was in the womb. There was nothing that was going to make me feel small or inferior right now. The crowd applauds, before the first song, Start Me Up begins.

_If you start me up,_

_If you start me up, I'll never stop._

_If you start me up,_

_If you start me up, I'll never stop._

_I've been running hot,_

_You got me ticking gonna blow my top._

_If you start me up,_

_If you start me up, I'll never stop._

_You make a grown man cry._

_Spread out the oil, the gasoline,_

_I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine._

_Start it up._

To my immediate surprise, more people know the words than I thought. Hell, there are 14 year old girls standing near me who are singing it at the top of their lungs. Maybe there was hope for the future, but only a small sliver. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, after all. I mean, normally, when I was feeling so optimistic about the future of humanity, I just went and read comments on YouTube, which always brought me back to reality.

I know the amazingness that is this concert has to end at some point, but the more it approaches, the less sad I feel. I want to enjoy all of this, and take in every moment of watching The Rolling Stones dominate that stage. And, they're doing a bloody amazing job. After Jumpin' Jack Flash, they play Gimme Shelter, which was another unexpected surprise.

In every concert I had watched on tv, I had never _once _heard them play Gimme Shelter. They even have Merry Clayton to do her original haunting vocals on the song. I am in sheer ecstasy, and I wanted to bottle this feeling, and drink it all day, everyday. If this what being high felt like, keep it coming. This was a feeling I never wanted to end.

But, it does. And when it does, I'm still in a good mood, and my adrenaline is pulsing at an all time high. I'm even too thrilled right now to bother scolding Trish. She's grinning as we start to leave, but she better not get **too **comfortable. I would still be grilling her later. Her little... Deed, was not about to go unpunished. There are signings going on, and I'm actually tempted to buy some merch, but, oh yeah, I'm _broke_.

I cast a longing glance at Linkin Park's table, before one of the band members from The Great Escape, the female one, approaches us. I give her a wary glance, wondering _why _she was heading over towards us. If she was looking for praise, she was coming to the wrong place. "Hey guys." She greets us, and it sounds so normal, that for just a minute, I don't even register her as a celebrity.

She seems calm, collected, and confident, but not overbearingly so. "Oh my god! _You're _Rixion Violet! I **love **you, and The Great Escape. I'm Trish." Trish squeals, going completely insane at the sight of this Rixion girl. Rixion just gives her a friendly smile. But, I think I see a little sign of... relief in her eyes? I had to give her props. She had to get this sort of thing all the time, and yet, she seemed so approachable, even though she looked like the most standoffish type of girl.

Whoops, there goes Ally, judging people before she even met them. I think it was time to give some people a more fair evaluation, before I jumped to such unfair, and often untrue things. For instance, when I first met Trish, I thought she was rude, snobbish, and annoying. But, look how far we had managed to come in those 18 years.

"It's nice to meet you, Trish. If you're Trish," she begins, before her mismatched eyes turn to mine. "Then **you **must be Ally Dawson!" She says, giving me an almost... Excited look? A celebrity was excited to meet _me_? This was definitely a dream. Things like this did not happen to peasants like me. Something's gotta give now.

"Uh, yes..." I say hesitantly, mentally calculating the chances of getting out of this. Just what did this Rixion girl want with me? If she was coming over here to beg me to forgive Austin, she was going to be wasting her breath. I didn't want to hear anything about Austin, bullshit apology or not.

"Oh, chill. I'm not like, an 'Auslly' groupie or anything. But come on, come hang back stage with me!" She says, grabbing my wrist and tugging me off with her. I resisted the urge to punch her. I did **not **like being touched, for the billionth time! Why couldn't anyone understand this? It was not a difficult task to comprehend or manage!

I grab Trish's wrist, and together the three of us head past a heavily guarded door. The guard barely glances at Rixion before going back to scanning the crowds. Wow, it must be nice to be elite. "I'm so excited to meet you! I've heard **a lot **about you." Rixion jokes, glancing at me and giving me wry smile. I felt like maybe some of the members of The Great Escape had redeemable souls. Well, maybe only one member, but I figured it was a start.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really ever plan on being in the tabloids."

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault that Austin is an idiot. I mean, I love the guy to death. He's like my brother. But, he does have a tendency to act impulsively and without thinking. It's not the first scandal he's been involved in, but I'm sorry that he dragged you into all of this."

I am actually a little bit bewildered. I had someone from The Great Escape _apologizing _to me? It wasn't really a direction I had seen this conversation going. Things are pretty busy backstage. People are rushing around, beginning the process of packing up the stage and everything. I felt bad for people who had to do this job. It had to be a pain in the ass.

I don't see anyone I recognize, not that I expected to. I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone else from the band yet. In a way, it's a relief. I'm hoping that Austin will stay in his dressing room and ignore my presence. We stop by a snack cart, and I eye the food with interest. They have just about everything a girl could ever want. It ranged from donuts and pastries to sushi. Hell, they even had one of those really fancy coffee pots that made espressos and lattes.

Rixion notices my longing glance, because I hear her chuckle. "I can see us being friends already. I like girls that can eat. It makes me feel like less of a man, because I eat like a freaking hog. Help yourself."

I didn't need to be told twice. I rushed forward, and loaded my plate with food. I notice passing crew members gaping at my plate. I didn't care. Not a single bother was given on this day. They could judge me all they liked. I was going to eat this plate of heaven, and I didn't care what anyone thought about it. Let them be jealous that I was comfortable enough with myself to not give a damn about anyone's opinion on my eating habits.

I dive into a donut, and I am instantly taken to heaven. It's a maple donut, which is my favorite flavor. If everyone got to eat like this, I would take this job in a heartbeat. A phone goes off, and I watch as Rixion pulls her phone out of her pocket. Her eyes scan the screen before her mouth moves into an amused smirk. "Hey Trish, would you like to meet the rest of The Great Escape?" She asks, a grin spreading across her face.

Trish looks like she's going to faint from all the excitement. She actually looks shocked, and if I didn't know her better, I would think she was ready to cry. But she quickly regains her senses and smiles. "Hell yeah!" she says, her voice ready to approach squealing.

"We'll be in the dressing room if you need us!" Rixion calls over her shoulder before her and Trish turn a corner and disappear from my line of vision. I really didn't care right now. They could go converse with the crummy band, and I would sit here and gain 500 pounds. This sounded like my kind of night. I begin diving into a brownie, when I hear footsteps coming my way.

I glance up curiously, and just about choke on the brownie that I had just crammed into my mouth. Austin was heading my way, giving me a sheepish grin. But, that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part? He wasn't alone. Walking just behind him was Mick Jagger. My idol was in plain view, and here I was, with my cheeks full of brownie! How freaking embarrassing!

I quickly make haste and swallow the brownie as quickly as possible without choking myself. And then, I casually check my phone, making sure that there aren't any brownie fragments stuck in my teeth. Luckily, I had gotten all the stains off, and there wasn't any other traces of the brownie. Austin stops a few feet away, looking a little unsure.

"Ally, it's been a while." He begins, his voice lacking the usual cockiness and arrogance that I usually heard. Austin Moon was nervous? Now there was something for the headlines. I didn't think playboys ever got nervous. They always walked around with that conceited smirk that I hated. So Austin was tipping the scales, and he had managed to take me by surprise.

"It has been a while." I say, struggling to keep my tone even. I really don't want to talk to him, but I also don't want to be a bitch. I know I'm already starting off as rude and possibly standoffish, but I was battling my tongue, and urging myself to think carefully before speaking. Mick is just standing there, glancing back and forth between the two of us. _Great_, it appeared that Mick was keeping up with the tabloids too. Wonderful, wonderful, bloody fucking brilliant.

"Oh! Where are my manners? Ally Dawson, meet Mick Jagger. Mick, meet Ally. Ally is a huge fan." Austin says it so casually, that it sounds like he was introducing his cousin to a friend. It was odd. But then, what did I know? Maybe Austin was friends with a lot of people. Being a celebrity, I imagined he had a billion different contacts, and a different person for every day of the year.

"So I've heard." Mick says, winking again. "It's great to meet you, love." He says, extending a hand. Oh. My. Jesus. Mick was talking to me. How many girls got to say they shook hands with their idols? Probably not as many as I thought. I was having an extreme fangirl moment, and I had to fight myself from acting overly excited.

I shake his hand, and I give him a smile. Austin is just watching our exchange in greetings with mild interest. His apparent nervousness had evaporated, and it now appeared that the same, confident, cocky celebrity that I hated had returned. It just figured. Of course he wouldn't stay nervous for long. He probably thought that by introducing me to Mick Jagger, he was scoring major points.

Although, as much as I hated to admit it, I was actually a little touched. It was probably the coolest apology I had ever received, and it was scoring him a couple points. But only a **couple**. I wasn't really ready to jump on board the Austin Adoration train. I might've hated him just a smidge less, but we were still far from being friends._  
_

Still, this _was _the farthest that a guy had gone to impress me, and right now, I was too excited to care about grudges against certain blonde haired, pop singing prats. "I'm surprised you're not fawning over him yet, Ally. I would've thought that you would be fainting by now." Austin says, swiping a donut from my plate.

_Does that boy want to get slapped?_ I wouldn't have a problem with it. I **hated **when people took food from me even more than I hated being touched. "Ally Dawson does not faint, first off. Second, last I checked, there was no 'we' in food. 'Sharing' is also not in the word 'food.'" I say, narrowing my eyes my precious donut that was latched into his poisonous hand.

"Ah, but food always tastes better when it comes from your plate." He says with a lazy grin, before his hand reaches down to grab another donut. If he was trying to get on my last nerve, he was rapidly succeeding. I felt my body go stiff, and I fight the urge to punch him. There was something about Austin that just really fucking pissed me off.

I couldn't figure out which part of his "charming" personality I detested the most. Maybe it was the cockiness, or the fact that he treated me with no respect. From day one it had been _ignore everything Ally says and do everything in your willpower to make her want to kill you. _If he touched one more donut, I was going to end his breathing. Sure, I didn't really want to make a terrible impression on Mick, but at this point, I was beyond annoyed.

I think Austin could tell that he was successfully trying to rile me up. And that's when it hits me. Austin _wants _to piss me off. He's probably pissed off at me too, and wants me to lash out and look like a total bitch in front of a guy that had saved my life. Not literally, of course, but through his music.

Fine Austin. If he wants to play that game, I can play it just as well. I will myself to relax my rigid muscles, and I let out a perfected and calm smile. I had gotten used to faking smiles by the time I was 14, so this was nothing I couldn't handle. I deserved an Oscar for how good my performances could be.

"You know what? You're right. Food does taste better when you steal it from other people." I say calmly, my voice lighter than before. I can see Austin's stunned expression. Clearly, he was expecting me to begin ranting. Too bad he had, once again, drastically underestimated me. That was not a smart move on his part. Sure, I was a flat out bitch, and I had a temper on me. But, I could play nice with the best of them.

I hear Mick chuckle, and I cast a curious glance at him. He looks quite amused with the situation, and he's watching our banter with interest. "You guys are better than cable, that's for sure."

I don't know where my bold impulse comes from, but I bow. "Thank you, I'm here all week." I've decided that it's best to just be myself, and if he still thought I was weird, oh well. Sure, I wanted to make a good impression, but there's a good chance he's not even going to remember my name. I'm sure he's met thousands and thousands of people, and I would just be another girl he talked with once.

But I was never going to forget this moment. It would leave a lasting impression, whether it was good or bad, and I would cherish this moment forever.

"What'd I tell you Mick? She's pretty spunky. I think she's fun to argue with, although tonight appears to be a more mild day, because usually we banter for longer."

I shrug, and grab a donut off my plate. Austin's smirk grows into a more... Mischievous glint. I watch as he grabs the last maple donut off my plate. He was confusing me. I had thought that he was doing all of this to get back in my good graces. So why was he going to such extreme measures to aggravate me right now? Boys were stupid, and confusing.

Maybe lesbians had the right idea. Perhaps boys _were _a complete waste of time. I wasn't going to waste my energy on any of this though. I was going to sit back, and watch the magic unfold around me. I could make Austin look like an ass, if I really wanted to. But, I'd wait till he gave me a good reason to. As it stood, he was doing a good job of looking like a _nice _asshole. I didn't understand how people managed to do it!

I hated people who were extreme bitches, but they played everything off as them being saints. And the worst part was, their deception worked on everyone else, and you can't lash out at them, because if you do, everyone wonders why you're being such a bitch. I was just waiting for my opportunity to arise.

"You were quite right. I like this girl. She's a step up from all your other love interests."

"Love interests eh? I didn't know Austin _loved _me." I say, not being able to hold back a smirk of my own.

Austin scratches his neck, and gives me a mildly dirty look. "Oh yeah. I love Ally Dawson. In fact, she's my girlfriend." He says, as he boldly steps closer to me. I can feel his arm lightly brush mine, and I can feel my skin _crawl_. He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. I fight my willpower, and barely manage to avoid my instincts to slip out of his grasp.

Just who in the actual fuck did he think he was? I was going to punch that boy as hard as I could the minute Mick left.

He chuckles, but he looks a little surprised too. "You're actually dating? I would've never guessed! Right on bro. I think you finally have a girlfriend I approve of."

I'm actually a little repulsed, and flattered at the same time. I didn't know there was any such possibility. I mean, Mick _approved _of me, which was the greatest compliment I had ever received. But, at the same time, I really wanted to set him straight and inform him that Austin was a delusional asshole who needed to go hug a landmine.

But, I'd play along for the moment. "I guess we're better at hiding it than I thought. We were trying to keep things low key, but I guess the world was bound to find out sooner or later."

I have to give Austin props. I glance at his face, and he looks so calm, and unfazed, that even _I _wonder if any of this is surprising him.

"What can I say? Ally is different from all the other girls I've dated, and I couldn't be happier. I just wanted to finally tell the world that I was tied down, but they obsessed a little bit." Austin says, giving me a peck on the cheek. I'm not sure whether to blush, or vomit.

_A little_? I'd say people obsessed more than just a little. I was on half of the fucking tabloid magazines. How many regular people could say they'd achieved that? None that I knew.

"Well, he's a handful at times. And, he can be a little self-obsessed at times. But, I think we're evenly matched." I say, giving him a fake, adoring smile. He gives me a similar grin, and Mick is just standing there, smiling. You'd think we had just announced that Tupac was back from the dead or something. Not that I liked Tupac. One song was decent.

"Well, it's been an interesting meeting, I'll say. But, I think it's time to go get out of these clothes. I'm ready to wind down. I'm starting to feel the effects of all that singing and dancing. It was great to see you, Austin. And, it was a pleasure to meet you, Ally. If you're ever in England, pop by for a visit." Mick says, before Austin and him do one of those stupid bro hugs.

To my surprise (Although, with everything that has happened tonight, there shouldn't be anything left that could knock me off my guard.) But, this was more of a pleasant surprise. Mick hugs me, and I am screaming with glee on the inside. He quickly pulls away, gives us one final grin, before he leaves. And that's when I drop the facade, and I yank myself out of his grasp.

"_Girlfriend?_" I hiss, watching as his calm expression turns sour. "We're hardly even friends, much less in a fucking relationship."

"You should've seen your face. You looked ready to slit my throat."

"Oh believe me, the struggle is real." I spat, and I put at least a good two feet of distance between us, and plop down into one of those foldout chairs they have.

"What is your problem now? I've already apologized. I don't know what else you want me to do." He says, his voice coming out in more of a quite, timid manner.

I sigh, and I force myself to calm down. He was right. He had done something so unbelievably nice for me, and I was treating him like shit. "You're right. I-"

He cuts me off. "You're quite possibly, the most ungrateful bitch I've ever met."

"Yeah? Well you're not perfect yourself. I am grateful, and I'm sorry for being such a bitch." I say, forcing the words out. It hurts my ego a little, to apologize to him, but he deserves a proper apology.

"I don't fucking understand you, Ally. I apologize, I introduce you to the lead singer of your favorite band, but it's not enough. I'm done trying, Ally. I'll leave you alone from now on." And he turns on his heel and storms off, before I can even get a word in edgewise. I would go after him, but he's right.

I've been the biggest bitch ever, and I think it's better if we just leave each other alone. I stand up, my body feeling stiff, and I feel a little guilty. But then, I remember that Austin is a fucking tosser, and that makes me re-think things again. I was about to apologize, and he couldn't stick around long enough to hear what I had to say. But, he's right. I go off, and search for Austin.

* * *

All these turns and unfamiliar surroundings are making it harder for me to navigate my way around. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm walking in circles. I am about to give up hope, when I hear two low male voices coming from nearby. I walk quietly, in case it's not someone I need to be conversing with. But, I spot a familiar blonde haired boy, and I begin walking towards him.

I'm just about to step out of hiding and go talk to him, when I hear my name. I freeze, and I listen to their conversation. He's with a red haired boy that I vaguely remembered seeing in occasional pictures of Austin.

"I'm sorry things didn't go the way you planned dude." The other guy says, giving Austin a sympathetic half-smile.

"Don't even bother apologizing dude. She was a waste of time. She's a stuck up bitch, and I can't believe I ever wanted to even be friends with someone as fucking wacko as Ally Dawson. I bet you that she was just going to use me for my fame and money. She gives off the appearance of a gold digger. Fuck that stupid slut, I'm done."

My mouth drops in bewilderment. Excuse me? Ok, I agreed that I was a bitch. I would never try to argue that fact. But a **slut**? I was not a fucking slut. I had sex with one guy, and we had been dating for two years. I understood that he was pissed, but that didn't give him the right to say things about me that he didn't even know were facts.

"Don't you think you're being a tad harsh?" The ginger asks, in a slight scolding tone. Austin's scowl deepens.

"No, Dez, I don't. I don't regret a single fucking thing I said. She never was, nor will she ever be worth my time. From now on, I'm focusing on music. I should've known deep down that she was just like every other girl I've ever met. I hope she rots in hell."

That does it. I fight off tears and I storm off. Sure, I normally didn't give a flying rat's ass about opinions. Especially other people's opinions towards me. But, Austin has struck a nerve. Fucking fine. If he wanted to end things on a bad note, then let him. I knew I had been right about him the whole time. It was a good thing I was getting out of all this with very few scars.

I finally manage to find my way back to the food cart. And just in time too! Trish and Rixion are walking towards me, talking and laughing together like old friends. At least one of us had a good night.

"I just saw Austin. He didn't look too happy. I take it things didn't go swimmingly?" Trish asks, carefully.

I feel even worse. Now my best friend was walking on eggshells around me, and that was unfair.

"He can go to hell for all I care." I growl, before I get up and walk away. I don't even wait for them to follow me. I was done.


End file.
